Frank C. Martin II

Dr. Frank C. Martin II is a Visiting Associate Professor in the Department of Visual & Performing Arts at South Carolina State University (SCSU), affiliated with the School of Education, Humanities, and Social Sciences. He holds a Ph.D. in Philosophy (History of Aesthetics) from the University of South Carolina (2018), an M.A. in Art History from Hunter College (1990), and a B.A. in Art History & Theory from Yale University (1976). His research focuses on art theory, Renaissance and contemporary art, cultural interpretation, and the intersection of art with social history.

Previously, Martin served as Director of the I. P. Stanback Museum & Planetarium at SCSU (until 2022) and worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He is a member of AICA (International Association of Art Critics) and has contributed to PBS documentaries and publications like The Charleston Post and Courier. His awards include SCSU’s 2014 Professor of the Year and The Links Inc.’s 2019 Community Service Award.

Research interests span art criticism, art as language, and Conversational Implicature, with publications in journals like Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry and exhibition catalogues on topics such as the Orangeburg Massacre’s artistic responses and Nok sculptures analysis. He collaborates across disciplines, notably with nuclear engineers in artifact analysis.

His teaching includes courses on art appreciation, Renaissance to contemporary art history, and African American art. He advocates for inclusive pedagogy, co-authoring chapters on teaching ELL students in art education.