Welcoming Dr. Nicole Archer, New Chair of the Department of Art & Design

Dr. Nicole Archer, Associate Professor in Visual and Critical Studies at Montclair State University with an affiliation in Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies, brings a wealth of experience as a scholar, educator, and leader in the arts. She currently serves as Vice President of Publications and as an Executive Board Member of the College Art Association, and her research focuses on contemporary art and design, with particular attention to textile and garment histories and the intersections of art, design, and social justice.

She began her academic journey at New College of Florida, where she studied Art History and Gender Studies. Like many Montclair State University students, her education was made possible by scholarships, Pell Grants, and Federal Work Study. She went on to earn an MA in Cultural History from Goldsmiths College, University of London, followed by a PhD in the History of Consciousness at UC Santa Cruz. Before joining Montclair State University, Dr. Archer served as an Assistant Professor and Department Chair at the San Francisco Art Institute and as a Resident Scholar with the Beatrice Bain Research Group in the Department of Gender and Women’s Studies at UC Berkeley.

Dr. Archer is currently revising a book manuscript, set to be published by Manchester University Press, which examines textiles and the aesthetics of discomfort and insecurity that shape contemporary U.S. politics. She is also co-curating an exhibition opening in the Washington, D.C. area in February 2026 to mark the United States’ 250th anniversary. The show will bring together over twenty intergenerational artists, activists, and craftspeople whose work reimagines the U.S. flag to interrogate how anti-Blackness restricts many Americans’ access to their full citizenship rights. Her forthcoming publications include essays on textiles, politics, and materiality, such as “Slip Stitches: Embroidery and the Infrapolitics of Solidarity and Resistance” in Feminist Visual Solidarities and Kinships from Rutgers University Press.

As Chair, Dr. Archer is eager to collaborate with faculty, staff, and students to continue strengthening the department’s programs. She notes, “My primary goal is to help our students acquire the knowledge and skills needed to excel in their fields and become future leaders. I’m excited to work with students to harness their style and brilliance in shaping our department culture and shared spaces. I’m also passionate about curriculum development and assessment, and I look forward to working with faculty to keep our programs creative and dynamic while addressing how new technological, cultural, and ecological challenges are reshaping our fields.”

A Brooklyn native who grew up in South Florida, Dr. Archer spent nearly 20 years in San Francisco before moving back East. She now lives in New York City, commuting daily on NJ Transit, which she describes as a cherished time for audiobooks, podcasts, and music. She is also an avid soccer fan and a dedicated supporter of Tottenham Hotspur.

Learn more about Dr. Archer’s work at nicolearcher.art. You can also read about her participation as a fashion show judge in The Montclarion: Defying Standards on the Runway with Mass Appeal.