Mark Long

Mark Long serves as Professor of Political Science at the College of Charleston while holding dual appointments as Curator at Large and Faculty Liaison at the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art. His interdisciplinary career bridges academic scholarship with curatorial practice, focusing on cultural interpretations of physical spaces across global contexts from Antarctica to the American South.

His educational foundation includes a Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina and both M.A. and B.A. degrees from the National University of Ireland, Cork, reflecting transnational academic training across Ireland, Spain, and the United States.

Long's research examines how landscapes function as cultural texts through diverse media including landscape photography, political cartoons, and street art. As a political geographer and Europeanist, he investigates place-making processes while developing place-based pedagogy and leading semester-long study abroad programs. His curatorial work features exhibitions of award-winning international artists exploring regional identities through visual documentation.

Recent publications reveal consistent thematic focus on Southern U.S. cultural landscapes, with scholarly contributions spanning Tennessee waterways, Cherokee National Forest sacred spaces, and Jerusalem's urban narratives. His work demonstrates methodological innovation through the integration of visual analysis with geographical and historical frameworks.

His major project Southbound – Photographs of and about the New South received significant recognition including:

• Furthermore’s Alice Award
• National Endowment for the Arts funding
• SC Arts Commission support
• Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation grant

Long secures substantial arts funding through collaborative partnerships with national institutions while expanding academic-practice connections via the Halsey Institute. His projects consistently bridge scholarly research with public engagement through exhibitions and publications.

As Faculty Liaison at the Halsey Institute, he cultivates interdisciplinary collaborations between political science and contemporary art, connecting classroom learning with professional curation practices and fostering dialogue between campus and Charleston's cultural community.