Rachel Ward is a Ph.D. candidate conducting anthropological research in artists’ studios and archives in New York City. She has an M.Sc. in Social Anthropology and a G.Dip. in Visual Anthropology, focusing on documentary filmmaking, archaeology, digital art and culture.
Now pursuing her doctorate in Interactive Arts & Technology, Rachel’s work converges on Digital Anthropology and the creation of imaginative, artistic and
experiential technologies for cultural preservation.
She has designed and built anthropological art installations, such as liliuokalani. archival experimentations, generating embodied access to the Archive via haptic-interactivity. She describes these projects in her book chapter in Digital Echoes (2018).
She has produced several documentaries, including a short about the overlap of Appalachian and punk music and Sneakerhead (2016), a portrait of an overzealous Air Jordan collector, which was featured in a 6-month exhibition in the Museum of Vancouver (MoV).
As of 2020, Rachel is collaborating with digital art(ists) in New York City and their complex archives to envision embodied multisensory access to their work in museum archives. Some of her preliminary research was recently published in the Electronic Media Review (2020).
A book I wrote last week called
DNA Polymerase Ancestors ISBN 979-8671716337
Two websites I built this year for
dianneblell.com and evafaye.com
Two doc shorts I made last month for
genning gallery IGTV and the parrish museum
A small article about
curriculum vitae
education
Ph.D. Candidate [current] in Interactive Arts + Technology at Simon Fraser University
M.Sc. Social Anthropology at London School of Economics and Political Science
G.Dip. Visual Anthropology at Australian National University
B.Sc. Biological Sciences in the Honors College at Virginia Tech + University of Pittsburgh
training
2019 National Digital Stewardship Residency [NDSR Art / NYC
2013 Smithsonian Summer Institute in Museum Anthropology [SIMA] / DC
2019 VoCA Voices in Contemporary Art: Artist Interviews [by invitation] / NYC
2019 Legacy Planning and Archiving for Artists / VLA NYC
publications
2020 Extended Abstract: Conservators in The Wild: Collaboration with Art Studios, Galleries, And Collectors / The Electronic Media Review Volume 6
2020 Book: DNA Polymerase Ancestors: a misguided, illustrated attempt at a unified theory of genetics, astrophysics, colorful portals, premonitions and coincidence
2020 Article: The archaeology, anthropology and archiving of contemporary digital art: salvage archival interpretations vs the interpretive conservation of art on Medium
2019 Article: NDSR Art at Small Data Industries: Born-digital Artists’ Materials in the Archive and Studio / Museum Archivist, Summer/Fall 2019 Issue
2019 National Report: Something Old, Something New: Born-digital Artists’ Materials in the Archive and Studio / Institute of Museum and Library Services [IMLS]
2019 Article: Review of Hans Ulrich Obrist: Ways of Curating / ARLIS-NA M&T Reviews
2018 Chapter: Strings of Knowledge: Multi-Sensory, Tactile & Digital Interactivity with Archives & Ethnography in Digital Echoes: Intangible & Performance-based Cultural Heritage
2018 Book: The Hamptons Oceans: A Poem for Children & Adults / ISBN 9781546459811
2015 Co-Author: Producing New Media Ethnographies / ISEA 2015 Proceedings
2010 Co-Author: Multiple protein kinase pathways mediate amplified IL-6 release by human lung fibroblast / Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 247[2]:146-57
2007 Co-Author: HIF1-a and COX-2 mediated synergistic release of angiogenic factors from human lung fibroblasts / Toxicologist 102[2]:2087
presentations
2019 Media Art History [MAH] Annual Conference / Denmark
2019 The Art of Digital Stewardship at The Maryland Institute College of Art [MiCA] / Baltimore
2019 American Institute of Conservation [AIC] / Connecticut
2019 New York University [NYU] Culture Mapping Conference / NYC
2019 Art Libraries Society of North America [ARLIS-NA] / Salt Lake City
2016 American Anthropological Association [AAA] Annual Conference / Minneapolis
2016 Visual Research Conference [VRC] / Minneapolis
2016 Society for Applied Anthropology [SfAA] Annual Conference [also Organizer] / Vancouver
2015 American Anthropological Association [AAA] Annual Conference / Denver
2015 International Symposium on Electronic Art [ISEA] / Vancouver
2015 Society for Applied Anthropology [SfAA] Annual Conference [Received a Poster Award] / Pittsburgh
2013 Rotary International / 10 international presentations throughout USA and Australia
2013 Smithsonian Institute Anthropology Department Annual Symposium / Washington DC
experience
2018-2019 Research Associate Small Data Industries in NYC
2016-2018 Collaborator & Archivist at Dianne Blell Studios in NYC
2017-2018 Digital Content Creator & Editor at Made by Sea in The Hamptons
2015-2016 Lead Event Curator at Vice News Virtual Reality Exhibition in Vancouver
2014-2016 Lab Instructor for Moving Images, Post-Photography, Graphic Design, New Media, Interactive Arts
2014-2016 Research Assistant at The Making Culture Lab (MCL) in Vancouver
2015-2016 Webmaster for societyforvisualanthropology.org
2014-2015 Chair of Documentation & Archival at the Internal Symposium on Electronic Art [ISEA]
2014-2016 Videographer at Bill Reid Centre for Northwest Coast Studies in Vancouver
2007-2008 Research Specialist II at University of Pittsburgh in DNA, RNA, PCR, Western Blots, ELISAs
2012-2013 American Museum of Natural History [AMNH] in NYC
Coordinator: Margaret Mead Annual Film Festival / two festivals [12 months]
Anthropology Research Assistantship [8 months]
Public Programs Intern [11 months]
TA for Archaeoastronomy & The Anthropology of Food (K-5)
funding and awards
2019 American Inst. of Conservation Fund
2018 NDSR Art Award
2017 Social Innovation Seed Grant
2014 Multi-Year Doctoral Fellowship
2014 Provost’s Prize of Distinction
2016 SVA Travel & Research Award
2016 Professional Development Grant
2016 Graduate Fellowship [SFU]
2016 Travel & Research [SFU]
2015 Poster Award [SfAA]
2015 Travel & Research [SFU]
2014 CD Nelson Entrance Scholarship
2013 NSF Smithsonian Stipend
2012 High Distinction Award Overall [ANU]
2011 Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship
2010 Distinction Award on Dissertation [LSE]
2007 Dean’s List [2003-2007] [All Semesters]
filmography
2020 Darius Yektai & the Grenning Gallery [8 min]
2020 Dianne Blell & the Parrish Museum [2 min]
2016 Sneakerhead [6 min]
2016 Anthropologists Try VR [3 min]
2016 Pieces of Syria [4 min]
2016 Moving Stories / 3 videos [40 min]
2016 Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas [46 min]
2016 The Centennial Post [14 min]
2016 Black Eagle Canoe [61 min]
2016 First Nations Literature [36 min]
2015 digitalsqewlets.ca / 8 videos [80 min]
2015 Ukulele: interactive biography [6 min]
2014 Appalachian Punks [Director] [15 min]
2014 Conemaugh Trio [4 min]
2014 Doctor Valentinus [5 min]
2012 Achuar & iPads [Director] [5 min]
2011 The Sensory Cottage [26 min]
2011 The Devil’s Instrument [9 min]
exhibitions
2018 Photography / Annual [51st] Springs Invitational Art Show / The Springs, NY
2018 Book Signing / Children’s Book / East Hampton Author’s Night / East Hampton, NY
2018 Photography / Guild Hall Museum / East Hampton, NY
2017 Photography / Cold Winter Beaches / Press
2016 Documentary Short / Sneakerhead [6 min] / exhibited 6 mos. / Museum of Vancouver [MoV]
2016 Interactive Art Installation / Liliuokalani: Archival Experimentations / Vancouver
2015 Interactive Art Installation / Ukulele: A Biography / Vancouver
2014 Photography / Society for Visual Anthropology / Washington DC
volunteer
2019 The Family Center / Leadership Council / Brooklyn
2018 NGO Photographer / Sustainable Community Projects / Senegal
2017 Social Innovation Seed Project / ‘VR Field Trips’ / PS129 / Harlem
2014 Volunteer Videographer / First Nations Artist / Canada
2013 Adventures in Science [K-5] Volunteer / American Museum of Natural History / NYC
2011 Rotary Canberra Chapter / Community Service Projects / Australia
2010 Mapuche Indigenous Community Grants & Development / Patagonia / Chile
2010 Mapuche K-8 School Volunteer / Patagonia / Chile Teacher & Cultural
2009 London School of Economics [LSE] Sustainability Leader / London
2007 Institute for Child Health / University College London
2008 Carilion Clinic Hospice / Camp Treehouse West / Virginia
2006 Blacksburg Middle School / Undergraduate Mentor & Tutor [2 years] / Virginia
professional memberships
2018-19 American Institute for Conservation [AIC]
2018-19 American Association of University Women [AAUW]
2018-19 Art Libraries Society of North America [ARLIS/NA]
2018-19 Archivists Round Table of New York [ART]
2014-18 American Anthropological Association [AAA]
2014-18 Society for Visual Anthropology [SVA]
2010-12 Rotary International [RI]
2016-17 Gamma Beta Phi Honor & Service Organization
2003-07 American Medical Student Association [AMSA]
2003-07 National Society of Collegiate Scholars [NSCS]
certifications
TCPS2 Certifications in Human Ethical Conduct
NIH Protecting Human Participants
TESL Teaching English as a Second Language
HIPAA Confidentiality Training