{"id":17106,"date":"2026-08-06T14:02:47","date_gmt":"2026-08-06T18:02:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cah.ucf.edu\/?post_type=news&#038;p=17106"},"modified":"2026-09-09T16:38:20","modified_gmt":"2026-09-09T20:38:20","slug":"ucf-announces-keri-watson-as-director-of-the-school-of-visual-arts-and-design","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/cah.ucf.edu\/news\/ucf-announces-keri-watson-as-director-of-the-school-of-visual-arts-and-design\/","title":{"rendered":"UCF Announces Keri Watson as Director of the School of Visual Arts and Design"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The UCF College of Arts and Humanities announces the appointment of Dr. Keri Watson as director of the School of Visual Arts and Design\u00a0(SVAD).<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Watson brings extensive experience in academic leadership, visual arts,\u00a0and interdisciplinary\u00a0scholarship\u00a0to the role.\u00a0Prior to this appointment, she\u00a0has\u00a0served\u00a0as assistant director of the School of Visual Arts and Design, professor of art history, affiliated faculty member in the Texts and Technology Ph.D. program,\u00a0and director of the Florida Prison Education Project.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Through her leadership at SVAD and the Florida Prison Education Project, Watson has supported interdisciplinary collaboration, expanded educational opportunities,\u00a0and advanced engagement between the arts and broader communities.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Watson earned her Ph.D. in art history from Florida State University in 2010. Her research focuses on American art, visual culture,\u00a0and the connections between art,\u00a0history\u00a0and public memory.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">She is the author of\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Florida\u2019s New Deal Parks and Post Office Murals<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0(2024) and co-author of\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Visual and Performing Arts Collaborations in Higher Education: Transdisciplinary Practices<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0(2023) with Julia Listengarten and\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">This is America: Re-Viewing the Art of the United States<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0(2023) with Keidra Daniels Navaroli. She also is co-editor of\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The Routledge Companion to Art and Disability<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0(2022) with Timothy Hiles.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Watson\u2019s scholarship has been recognized through a Fulbright Fellowship and support from organizations including the National Endowment for the Arts, Arts Midwest, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Terra Foundation for American Art,\u00a0and the Society for the Preservation of American Modernists.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Watson sees this role as an opportunity to build on SVAD\u2019s strengths while supporting faculty, students,\u00a0and the school\u2019s diverse creative disciplines.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cI\u2019m honored to serve as director of the School of Visual Arts and Design and to build on the incredible work of our faculty, staff, alumni,\u00a0and students,\u201d said Watson. \u201cSVAD is a place where creativity,\u00a0scholarship,\u00a0and innovation come together to prepare the next generation of artists, designers,\u00a0and creative thinkers. I look forward to expanding opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration, strengthening our connections with the community,\u00a0and ensuring our students have the support and experiences they need to thrive at UCF and throughout their careers.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Watson will lead SVAD\u2019s continued growth across visual arts, art history,\u00a0and design while supporting the school\u2019s commitment to creative practice, research,\u00a0and student success.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The UCF College of Arts and Humanities\u00a0announces\u00a0the appointment of Dr. Keri Watson as director of the School of Visual Arts and Design.\u00a0","protected":false},"author":"","featured_media":"https:\/\/cah.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2026\/08\/1.png","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"dept":[5,11],"class_list":["post-17106","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","dept-school-of-visual-arts-and-design","dept-texts-and-technology-ph-d"],"acf":[],"approved":0,"site_name":"CAH News","yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.4 - 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