Caitlin Frances Bruce

Caitlin Frances Bruce is an Associate Professor of Communication at the University of Pittsburgh, specializing in the intersections of public art, urban spaces, and social politics. She holds a PhD in Communication Studies from Northwestern University and has been affiliated with institutions like the Paris Program in Critical Theory. Her work investigates how public art fosters cross-social encounters, navigates institutional constraints, and builds feminist social infrastructure across global contexts.

Her research spans transnational graffiti scenes, youth-driven art movements, and the impact of institutional frameworks on creative practices. Key contributions include the award-winning book Painting Publics (2019) and Voices in Aerosol (2024), both analyzing graffiti's role in shaping democratic spaces and institutional dynamics. She co-founded the Hemispheric Conversations Urban Art Project (HCUAP), bridging academic research with community-driven public art initiatives.

Dr. Bruce’s teaching focuses on rhetorical studies of space, affect theory, and visual culture. Her awards include the Jane Jacobs Book Award and recognition from the National Communication Association. She actively mentors PhD students exploring themes of transnationalism, affective labor, and infrastructural feminism.

Her current projects include a forthcoming book on creative cities and tourism (with Ricardo Klein) and research on feminist solidarity networks in the Americas, supported by grants from the Gerda Henkel Foundation. She maintains an active public presence through HCUAP and her website caitlinfrancesbruce.com.