J.P. Spicer-Escalante

J.P. Spicer-Escalante is a Full Professor in the Department of World Languages & Cultures within the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences at Utah State University, where he has taught since 2003. His work bridges academic scholarship and artistic practice, focusing on Latin American literature, cinema, and socio-cultural documentary photography.

Educational Background:

• Ph.D. in Latin American Literature, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1999)
• M.A. in Spanish, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1992)
• B.A. in Economics and Spanish, Kansas State University (1987)

His research centers on 19th to 21st century Hispanic cultural production, with a strong emphasis on literary and cinematic naturalism, travel writing, and the socio-cultural dimensions of traditions like Día de los Muertos. Since 2020, he has expanded into documentary photography and videography, exploring themes of identity, globalization, tradition, and human connection. His exhibitions have been featured across the United States, South America, and Europe, reflecting a deeply interdisciplinary and globally engaged practice.

The recent creative outputs of Dr. Spicer-Escalante are predominantly artistic exhibitions that function as scholarly contributions, documenting cultural rituals, community identities, and the interplay between modernity and tradition. These works span solo and group shows, often focusing on Mexican celebrations, intergenerational relationships, and pandemic-era social dynamics, demonstrating a consistent thematic thread of cultural representation and humanistic inquiry.

Dr. Spicer-Escalante plays a significant role in academic publishing as the Founding Co-Director and Managing Editor of Decimonónica: Revista de producción cultural hispánica decimonónica, and as a member of the editorial committee for Excavatio, an international journal on Naturalism. These roles reflect his commitment to advancing multidisciplinary scholarship in Hispanic studies. While no formal grants are mentioned, his sustained exhibition record suggests external or institutional support for his creative research. He regularly teaches key courses such as Survey of Hispanic American Literature II, Topics of Hispanic American Cultural Production, and Introduction to Hispanic Cinema.

His artistic and academic work is closely tied to institutional spaces such as the Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art at Utah State University, the Latinx Cultural Center, and international galleries in Argentina, Greece, and Minnesota. These venues serve as labs and platforms for public engagement, where scholarly inquiry meets community and artistic audiences.