During this Artful Evening, presented in conjunction with the KIA's ongoing exhibition American Realism: Visions of America, 1900-1950, Dr. Carmenita Higginbotham offers an analysis of race and representation in the Realist art of the 1920s and 30s.

Dr. Higginbotham is Dean of Virginia Commonwealth University's School for the Arts. Her research examines 20th-century American art, and how notions of “the city” have had an impact on representation. She has lectured extensively on the history of American art, popular visual culture, and public art, and has served as a featured scholar and consultant on the topic of Walt Disney and the Disney corporation’s cultural impact.

Prior to her current role, Higginbotham served as department chair of the University of Virginia's Department of Art, and as an assistant and associate professor in the departments of Art and American Studies. She received her PhD in the History of Art from the University of Michigan.