Norman Vorano

Norman Vorano is an Associate Professor of Art History and Department Head at Queen’s University, leading the Fine Art Program. He holds the Queen’s National Scholar title in Indigenous Art and Material Culture. His research focuses on Indigenous North American and Arctic arts, museum studies, and digital cultural heritage. Vorano earned his PhD from the University of Rochester, and MA/BFA from York University.

Education:

• PhD, Visual and Cultural Studies, University of Rochester
• MA, Art History, York University
• BFA, Visual Art, York University

Research Interests: Vorano explores Indigenous visual cultures’ intersections with colonial institutions and global audiences. Key areas include:
- 19th/20th-century Indigenous arts
- Arctic art communities (e.g., Qikiqtaaluk/Baffin Island)
- Digital heritage via 3D scanning and VR/AR
- Global Indigenous modernisms and printmaking cultures.

His work bridges academia and practice, including major exhibitions like Inuit Prints, Japanese Inspiration and Picturing Arctic Modernity. He co-directs the Mobile Lab for the Study of Architecture (MobArch), advancing preservation through cutting-edge technologies.

Awards:

• 2017 Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Fellow
• Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society

Advising & Collaborations: Vorano supervises graduate students in Indigenous art histories, digital heritage, and curatorial studies. He collaborates with Arctic communities and institutions like the Canadian Museum of History and Agnes Etherington Art Centre.

Labs/Teams: Co-director of MobArch, advancing 3D documentation for endangered architectures. Active in NAASA (board member) and editorial roles for Inuit Art Quarterly.