About the Executive Director

Tanisha Jackson upper body portrait

Tanisha M. Jackson, Ph.D.

Dr. Tanisha M. Jackson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of African American Studies (AAS) at Syracuse University (SU) where she teaches classes in African Diaspora Art and Film. She is also the Executive Director of the Community Folk Art Center.

Jackson’s research focuses on the representation of black women in contemporary visual art and popular culture and community-based arts. She has published peer-reviewed articles internationally and nationally including Me-Telling: Recovering the Black Female Body Through Digital Narratives and Mixed Methods” Visual Culture and Gender Journal v.8. 2013, and is currently working on her manuscript, The Art of Black Women’s Wellness: A look at Black women artists as wellness workers.

Concurrently,  Jackson’s other research focuses on community-based arts education in the African Diaspora in which she focuses on shared asset-based strategies specific to social justice initiatives that work to build community and address inequities in marginalized spaces. 

Jackson earned a Ph.D. in Art Education, an M.A. in African American Studies, and a B.A. in English all at The Ohio State University. She also earned her Executive Master of Business Administration from The University of Toledo.