Steve Jones

Steve Jones is a Senior Adjunct Professor in the Critical Ethnic Studies Program at California College of the Arts (CCA), where he contributes to interdisciplinary scholarship at the intersection of design, race, and representation. He also maintains an active professional practice as a graphic designer and artist in Oakland, California.

His educational background includes a BFA from CCAC and an MFA with honors from the Rhode Island School of Design. He has previously taught at the Rhode Island School of Design and San Francisco State University, bringing extensive pedagogical experience to CCA.

Steve Jones's research and creative work focus on Black icons in mass media, identity politics, and public art. His design philosophy merges personal narrative with formal innovation, critically examining how race and culture are visualized in contemporary society. As principal of plantain studio and founder of the Negro Emancipation Association, he advances community-centered design practices.

Though no recent articles are listed, his work reflects ongoing engagement with visual culture, critical race theory, and design activism—fields central to current discourse in art and design education.

• Award-winning graphic designer

Steve Jones has advised students through his teaching roles at multiple institutions, though specific advisees are not listed. He has been involved in public art initiatives, including service on the Alameda Public Art Advisory Commission, indicating engagement with community-based projects and potential grant-funded public works.

He leads plantain, a design studio in Oakland, and founded the Negro Emancipation Association, a Bay Area design collaborative, both serving as creative and intellectual hubs for interdisciplinary work in design and cultural critique.