Darice Polo

Darice Polo is an Associate Professor and Drawing Program Coordinator at the School of Art, Kent State University since 2004. She specializes in interdisciplinary art exploring Puerto Rican culture, history, and socio-political issues. Her work spans drawings, paintings, prints, digital films, and community-based projects.

Education:

• BFA in Media Arts, School of Visual Arts, New York City
• MFA in Painting, SUNY Albany

Research Focus: Her practice bridges personal and collective experiences, addressing colonialism, diaspora, and activism. Projects like Seeds of Colonialism critique historical and ongoing impacts of colonialism on Puerto Rico. Her films and essays have been featured in venues such as the Museum of the City of New York and the SEA Foundation in the Netherlands.

Awards & Grants:

• Equal Justice Artist Residency (2018)
• Creative Workforce Fellowship
• Puffin Foundation Grant

Key Projects: Community-based initiatives like Seeds of Colonialism in Cleveland’s Clark Fulton neighborhood, and exhibitions at the International Puerto Rican Heritage Film Festival and A.I.R Gallery, Brooklyn.