J. Vanessa Lyon

J. Vanessa Lyon is a faculty member at Bennington College's Visual Arts department, focusing on the histories of art with emphasis on gender, race, and representation in early modern visuality. She serves as Director of the Visual Arts Lecture Series (VALS), promoting underrepresented artists and scholars.

• MA, University of California at Berkeley
• PhD, University of California at Berkeley
• MA, Iliff School of Theology

Her research bridges transhistorical and transcultural analyses, particularly examining Spanish, Flemish, and Transatlantic visual culture from 1400-1850. Key interests include Critical Race Theory, post/colonial relationships, and the legacies of the 'Old Masters.' Her publications explore Rubens' depictions of powerful women, Pope's garden iconography, and Sor Juana's queer portraiture.

Lyon's recent articles and book focus on intersections of race, gender, and colonialism in Northern art histories, with a current project titled 'Blackness Thirteen Ways: On Finding Myself in Art History.' Her work often combines interdisciplinary methodologies and challenges traditional art historical narratives.

• Yale Center for British Art Fellowship
• Attingham Trust Fellowship
• Fulbright Commission Fellowship
• Program for Cultural Cooperation Fellowship

Prior to Bennington, she taught at Grinnell College, Reed College, and UC Berkeley. She co-founded initiatives connecting art history with contemporary social issues and curated the inaugural exhibition at ArtYard Center.