About Sarah Cunningham

Sarah Cunningham is director of the Atkinson Gallery in the Art Department at Santa Barbara City College where she also teaches Visual Literacy and Exhibition Practices courses. During her career, she has curated over 45 contemporary art exhibitions including Rafa Esparza: for you and the sky, Devon Tsuno: Los Angeles River Urban Reclamation, Inherited Traits: Nina Katchadourian & Heidi Kumao, and a solo exhibition by Willie Cole. She previously served as the director of the College of New Jersey Art Gallery, the curator of exhibitions and public programs at the Alice Austen House Museum (NY), the executive director of the Albany Center Galleries (NY). To complement and extend her curatorial practice, Cunningham is an experienced gallery educator trained in the Visual Thinking Strategies. Additionally, she teaches artmaking workshops including puppet construction, bookmaking, mosaics, and photography for organizations including the International Charter School (RI), the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (MN), the East Side Arts Council (MN). Committed to social change through the arts, Cunningham also served as the neighborhood artist-in-residence at the Woonsocket Neighborhood Development Corporation (RI) for three years. Cunningham received her BA in American Studies from Tufts University and her MFA in Art Photography from Syracuse University.

Via Salt Mound Arts Consulting, she provides curating, teaching artist, and nonprofit management services.

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