Courtnay Micots

Courtnay Micots is an Associate Professor at Florida A&M University (FAMU) since 2022, affiliated with the Visual Arts department under the Foster-Tanner Fine Arts College. Her research focuses on cross-cultural issues and visual studies within Africa and the Black Diaspora from the Modern period to present-day, examining assimilation, resistance, and connections to heritage and modernity.

• Education:
  • Ph.D. in African Art History, University of Florida
  • M.A. in Art History and History, Cleveland State University
  • B.A. in Art History, Georgia State University

Her work explores colonial and postcolonial eras through themes like African colonial architecture, Akan leadership chairs, Fante asafo flags, Fancy Dress Carnival, and carnival arts. She has curated exhibitions such as "Fancy Dress Masquerade" and "Perceptions: Encounters with African Art", combining academic research with public engagement.

Key awards include two National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grants (2019, 2023) for her books, a Faculty Travel Award (2017), and multiple Teaching and Research Fellowships. Her recent book "African Mansions: How the Gold Coast Elites Fought Colonialism with Status and Modernity" (2023) expands on her expertise in colonial-era elite spaces.

Micots manages FAMU's Fine Arts Collection of African and Diaspora Art (156 objects) and has presented 22 times internationally. She also serves on the Working Group on Best Practices in Collaboration, Collecting, and Restitution for North American museums holding African objects.