Joseph S. Lewis III

Joseph S. Lewis III is a Professor in the Department of Art at the University of California, Irvine. He served as Dean of the Claire Trevor School of the Arts from 2010 to 2014. Previously, he held deanship roles at Alfred University’s School of Art and Design and the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York City, and chaired the art department at California State University, Northridge. His professional background includes teaching at institutions like CalArts, UCLA, and Otis College of Art and Design.

Educated at Hamilton College (BA in Art) and the Maryland Institute College of Art (MFA), he furthered postgraduate studies at the University of Plymouth’s Centre for Advanced Inquiry in the Interactive Arts. His research interests span public art, artist books, and the intersection of art, technology, and society. He has exhibited internationally, participated in residencies (e.g., Anderson Ranch, Cité des Artes, Darkroom Projects), and co-founded Fashion Moda, an influential alternative art space in the Bronx.

Awarded grants and fellowships from the NEA, Ford Foundation, and others, Lewis also serves on boards such as the Noah Purifoy Foundation, Project Hope Alliance, and California Lawyers for the Arts. His writings appear in Art in America, ArtForum, and Contemporanea, focusing on critical dialogues in contemporary art.