Gia M. Hamilton
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Gia Maisha Hamilton (born July 30, 1978) is an applied anthropologist who employs methodology to investigate land, labor and cultural production while examining social connectivity within institutions and communities. As a model builder, Hamilton co-founded an independent African centered school, Little Maroons in 2006; later, she opened a creative incubator space- Gris Gris Lab in 2009 and designed and led the Joan Mitchell Center artist residency program in New Orleans as a consultant from 2011- 2013 and director from 2013-2018.


Early life and education

Hamilton was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her father is a retired nuclear engineer. Hamilton received a bachelor's degree in
cultural anthropology Cultural anthropology is a branch of anthropology focused on the study of cultural variation among humans. It is in contrast to social anthropology, which perceives cultural variation as a subset of a posited anthropological constant. The term ...
from
New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...
and a Master's of
applied anthropology Applied anthropology is the practical application of anthropological theories, methods, and practices to the analysis and solution of practical problems. The term was first put forward by Daniel G. Brinton in his paper "The Aims of Anthropology" ...
from
Graduate Center of the City University of New York The Graduate School and University Center of the City University of New York (CUNY Graduate Center) is a public research institution and postgraduate university in New York City. Formed in 1961 as Division of Graduate Studies at City University ...
.


Career

In 2011 Hamilton curated ''The
Invisible Man ''Invisible Man'' is Ralph Ellison's first novel, and the only one published during his lifetime. It was first published by the British magazine Horizon in 1947, and addresses many of the social and intellectual issues faced by African American ...
Exhibit'' at The George & Leah McKenna Museum of African American Art through her Gris Gris Lab project for Prospect 2, a meeting place and think tank for local cultural workers to work together which she launched in 2009 in New Orleans. The show referenced
Ralph Ellison Ralph Waldo Ellison (March 1, 1913 – April 16, 1994) was an American writer, literary critic, and scholar best known for his novel '' Invisible Man'', which won the National Book Award in 1953. Ellison wrote '' Shadow and Act'' (1964), a co ...
's novel and highlighted local contemporary black male artists. After 15 years in Brooklyn and her work on Prospect 2, New Orleans, Hamilton moved back to New Orleans full-time. There she opened Gris Gris Lab, a meeting place and think tank for local cultural workers to work together. In 2013 Hamilton became the Director of the
Joan Mitchell Center Joan may refer to: People and fictional characters *Joan (given name), including a list of women, men and fictional characters ** Joan of Arc (c. 1412–1431), patron saint of France *Joan (surname) Art and media * ''Joan'' (Alexander McQueen ...
where she spearheaded the creation of their New Orleans twelve million dollar campus development of an artists' residency program, cultural initiatives and investment in the local arts community. The residency program uniquely hosts international emerging, mid-career and established artists alongside local emerging artists that fosters a dialogue about their work on an international platform. The campus provides an oasis for artists while maintaining a central location and access to New Orleans. She was able to bring trust and criticality to the project as well as knowledge of native New Orleanean art, "ethnographic assessment and organizational design." Hamilton was invited by
Ace Hotel Ace Hotel is a chain of hotels headquartered in Los Angeles and New York City. Founded in 1999 in Seattle, it operates hotels Internationally in 4 continents, with locations in; Brooklyn, New York City; Palm Springs, California; Seattle, Washing ...
to curate ''Southern Parlour Exhibition'', that created a new space for cultural exchange and dialogue about blackness in contemporary art for both artists and visitors. ''Southern Parlour'' was one of four salons Ace Hotel hosted and one of Hamilton's goals was to examine the multiple perspectives contemporary work by black artists offers. This exhibition was hosted by Hamilton's project, Afrofuture Society, which is a global-thinking cultural and social New Orlean's based group that explores alternatives to dominant culture. Hamilton moderated a panel for Prospect 3 on political and social responsibility of art institutions and artists. The panel included Brandan Odums of ExhibitBE, Imani Jacqueline Brown and
Lisa Sigal Lisa Sigal (born 1962) is a contemporary artist who lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. Life and work Sigal was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She works with painting, sculpture and architecture. Her constructions insinuate themselves int ...
of Blights Out,
Willie Birch Willie Birch (born 1942) is an American visual artist who works in a variety of mediums including drawing, painting, and sculpture. Birch was born in New Orleans, and currently lives and works in New Orleans. He completed his BA at Southern Univ ...
, and
Nari Ward Nari Ward (born 1963 in St. Andrew, Jamaica) is a Jamaican-American artist based in New York City. He is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Hunter College. His work is often composed of found objects from his neighborhood, and "address issu ...
. Hamilton was one of four curators to revive the Atlanta Biennial at the Atlanta Contemporary in 2016 featuring a Southern perspective on the contemporary art survey show. The show examined connections between artists across the Southeast instead of focusing on artists in the
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
metro area. Notable artists featured in this exhibition include William Downs,
Stacy Lynn Waddell Stacy Lynn Waddell (born 1966 Washington, DC) is an American artist. Education She attended North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Awards and recognition She was a finalist for the '' Factor Pri ...
,
Kalup Linzy Kalup Linzy (born July 23, 1977) is an American video and performance artist who currently lives and works in Tulsa, OK. His performances are characterized by their low-tech quality, themes of community, socializing, family, the church, sexualit ...
and
Harmony Korine Harmony Korine (born January 4, 1973) is an American filmmaker, actor, photographer, artist, and author. His methods feature an erratic, loose and transgressive aesthetic, exploring taboo themes and incorporating experimental techniques,Alicia Kn ...
. In addition to her curatorial and leadership roles, Hamilton has contributed essays to notable exhibition catalogs: * Magnetic Fields: Expanding American Abstraction, 1960s to Today (Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, 2017) – Magnetic Fields aims to change this perspective by focusing on nonrepresentational work by women artists of color, presenting a more complete presentation of American abstraction than has previously been offered. * An Impulse to Keep (Greenwood Art Project, 2021) - Published on the occasion of the Greenwood Art Project, an initiative led by artists Rick Lowe/william cordova with Jerica Wortham, Marlon Hall, Jeff Van Hanken and Kode Ransom. The project brings together artists, residents, leaders, organizations, and businesses to raise awareness of the 1921 Tulsa Massacre and the destruction of its thriving Black community in the historic Greenwood District that included Black Wall Street, one of the most prominent Black-owned business districts in the United States during the early 1900s. Gia Hamilton wrote the essay "Imagine" for the catalogue. As part of
Savannah College of Art and Design Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is a private art school with locations in Savannah, Georgia; Atlanta, Georgia; and Lacoste, France. It was founded in 1978 to provide degrees in programs not yet offered in the southeast of the United ...
's initiative for bringing international creatives in to dialogue with SCAD students, Hamilton led a discussion with artists Lavar Monroe,
Robin Rhode Robin Rhode (born 1976) is a South African artist based in Berlin, Germany. He has made wall drawings, photographs and sculptures. Early life and education Rhode was born in Cape Town, South Africa. He studied fine art at Technikon Witwaters ...
and the design group R & R Studios at
SCAD Museum of Art The SCAD Museum of Art was founded in 2002 as part of the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia, and originally was known as the Earle W. Newton Center for British American Studies. The museum's permanent collection of more th ...
in 2016. In 2018, Hamilton received a
Next City ''Next City'' is a national urban affairs magazine and non-profit organization based in Philadelphia. First published in March 2003 as a magazine known as The Next American City, Next City promotes socially, economically and environmentally sust ...
Vanguard fellowship. She partnered with
Airbnb Airbnb, Inc. ( , an abbreviation of its original name, "Air Bed and Breakfast") is an American company operating an online marketplace for short-and-long-term homestays, experiences and services in various countries and regions. It acts as a ...
to host a Modern Matriarch tour, which focuses on women of color in New Orleans' 7th ward. Hamilton has written for
Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (''The Huffington Post'' until 2017, itself often abbreviated as ''HPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and covers ...
and Pelican Bomb about maintaining a healthy lifestyle as a culture worker and single mother of four boys. Hamilton has been on the board of
Tulane University The Tulane University of Louisiana (commonly referred to as Tulane University) is a private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by a cohort of medical doctors, it b ...
's Newcomb Museum, Alliance for Artist Communities, and New Orleans Video Access Center. She has also been featured in curatorial intensives with
Independent Curators International Independent Curators International (ICI) is a non-profit headquartered in New York City that has produced exhibitions, events, publications, and training opportunities since 1975. History Independent Curators International (ICI) was founded in 197 ...
. Since 2019 Hamilton has reopened the New Orleans African American Museum and has been serving as its executive director and chief curator.


Family

Hamilton lives in New Orleans with her five sons and daughter in
Tremé Tremé ( ) is a neighborhood in New Orleans, Louisiana. "Tremé" is often rendered as Treme, and the neighborhood is sometimes called by its more formal French name, the Faubourg Tremé; it is listed in the New Orleans City Planning Districts as ...
.


Recognitions

Hamilton received the 2018 Next City Vanguard fellowship, nominated for the 2018 City Business Woman of Year award and was City Business 2022 Hospitality Leader.


References


External links

*
Gris Gris LabAfrofuture Society
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hamilton, Gia M. 1978 births Living people 20th-century African-American people 20th-century African-American women 21st-century African-American people 21st-century African-American women New York University alumni CUNY Graduate Center alumni American curators American women curators American arts administrators American women arts administrators African-American curators