Jasmine Jamillah Mahmoud

Jasmine Jamillah Mahmoud is an Assistant Professor of Theatre History and Performance Studies at the University of Washington, with affiliate appointments in Art History and Comparative History of Ideas. She holds a PhD in Performance Studies from Northwestern University (2021), an MA in Arts Politics from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, and a BA in Government from Harvard University.

Her research investigates contemporary performance and art practices through frameworks of race, feminist/queer of color critique, public policy, and urban geography. Key areas include avant-garde geographies, minoritarian aesthetics, and cultural policy analysis. She leads UW’s Minoritarian Performance Research Cluster funded by the Simpson Center for the Humanities.

Publications include over 50 essays/reviews in venues like Performance Research and Modern Drama, and the co-edited volume Makeshift Chicago Stages (2021). Awards include the 2020 ASTR Collaborative Research Award for this work.

• Current Projects: Avant-Garde Geographies book project analyzing experimental art in urban margins
• Service Roles: Washington State Arts Commissioner (Gov. Inslee appointee), Tacoma Art Museum’s Current Black Artist Award committee
• Public Engagement: Founded Seattle Arts Voter Guide, mentors TeenTix Press Corps youth journalists

Her work bridges academic scholarship with community engagement through art curation, policy advocacy, and youth mentorship programs.