Joelle Dietrick

Joelle Dietrick is an Associate Professor of Art and Film, Media, and Digital Studies at Davidson College. Her practice integrates painting, digital media, and systems analysis to interrogate the intersection of technology, economics, and aesthetics. She holds an M.F.A. from the University of California at San Diego and a B.F.A. from Pennsylvania State University.

• Education
  • M.F.A., University of California at San Diego
  • B.F.A., Pennsylvania State University

Dietrick's research explores global infrastructure through data-driven art, focusing on network automation, color forecasting, and the aesthetic-political implications of digital systems. Her work frequently employs custom code and public installations to visualize economic volatility, including the housing market crisis and seaport logistics.

Her recent projects include the NEA-funded mural Systems + Circumstance (2015) and the interactive game-artwork The Speed of Thinking (2017), which uses real-time trade data from MIT’s Observatory of Economic Complexity. These works reflect her interest in algorithmic processes, color theory, and the paradoxes of technological progress.

• Scientific Awards
  • National Endowment for the Arts grant
  • Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst (DAAD) fellowship
  • Fulbright Program research grant for seaport IT systems research

Dietrick has been awarded grants from the University of California, Florida State University, and the National Endowment for the Arts. She collaborates with institutions like the PACE Center for Girls, integrating community engagement into her artistic practice. Her teaching emphasizes experimentation across traditional and digital art media, incorporating critical theory and technological history.