Bella Thomas-Wilson curated professional skills to carry her personalized Volunteer light forward.
Bella Thomas-Wilson’s lifelong fascination with storytelling in visual and performing arts inspired her to create her own unique major through UT’s College Scholars Program: “Public Art and Media with an Emphasis on Underrepresented Communities.” With an added minor in museum and curatorial studies, the Knoxville native graduates this spring with a professional foundation built from her personalized academic pathway.
“When I came to college, I didn’t see myself in any of the major programs that were offered,” she said. “I wanted to propose my own program that blended interests that I felt were inseparable. I became interested in studying public art because of the way it engages the community. It is often financially accessible, and it offers a third space for people to connect with strangers and neighbors alike.”
Within her customized program, Thomas-Wilson organized and curated exhibitions that combined topics in queer theory, music, performance, literature, cultural wisdom, and collaborative art practices.
“Being a queer woman from the south, I felt that it was important to learn how to properly represent and amplify voices and art practices of people in underrepresented communities,” said Thomas-Wilson. “Racial and ethnic minorities, women, LGBTQ members, artists from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, and artists with disabilities— Working to fill holes in the stories we tell, and the archives we keep, became important to me in this sense.”
Curation Builds Community
Thomas-Wilson’s research and scholarly work takes place in public arts institutions, where she developed her strong curatorial voice and practice rooted in authenticity, ethical and expansive representation, and community accessibility.
“My research is hands-on, collaborative, and guided by my core belief that cultural institutions can and should serve the public as a community hub and repository of its culture,” said Thomas -Wilson.
She conducted in-depth research on artists during a year-long internship with the Knoxville Museum of Art, and organized the first college-centered event the museum had hosted in many years
“This experience drew me closer to the stories, histories, and social impact that each work of art carries,” she said. “By bridging the gap between students and local institutions, I hope to help my peers envision themselves as active contributors and future decision makers to the cultural landscape of Knoxville.”
Most recently, Thomas-Wilson curated the exhibit Intertwine at the Dogwood Arts Gallery on Jackson Avenue. She applied for grants, solicited artworks, created all the materials for the exhibition, and presented about her work and curatorial process. She brought together local and national artists whose works offer insight into intercommunal exchange, reciprocity and abundance, and sustainable world-making.
“These 12 artists inspire innovative conversation about intertwinement and belonging through their displayed work,” said Thomas-Wilson. “Our dependence on one another is what makes our human experience so special.”
Gallery of Mentors
Thomas-Wilson cites a village of UT faculty mentors for sharing their guidance and encouragement, notably Mary Campbell, the Lindsay Young Associate Professor of American Art History; Professor Maria Stehle, who works across Cinema Studies, Women, Gender, and Sexuality studies, and World Languages and Cultures (WLC); and a bevy of faculty across the School of Art.
“Outside of this amazing team, I enjoyed reaching out to professors, whether I was in their class or not, and hearing about their experience and hopes for their future research practice,” said Thomas-Wilson. “I have benefited so greatly from having conversations across departments.”
Though an undergraduate, Thomas-Wilson succeeded in two graduate-level WLC courses with Stehle.
“Bella is creative, smart, engaged, and brilliant,” said the professor. “She stood out even among graduate students as a deeply intellectual and thoughtful student and person.”
As Thomas-Wilson’s College Scholars mentor, Campbell attests to the high level of work achieved during the curation of the Intertwine exhibition.
“Bella chose the work for the exhibition, arranged to have it delivered and often shipped across the country to the Dogwood Arts gallery in the Old City, helped install it, and created materials that ranged from wall text to an exhibition catalog to a play list,” said Campbell. “During her final year at UT, she also helped me with my research on the painter Beauford Delaney. Her work was so good, I acknowledge her in my forthcoming book on the artist and cite her outstanding senior seminar paper, ‘Drawing a Throughline: Beauford Delaney and Cosmic Abstraction.’”
Volunteer Spirit on Exhibit
After graduation, Thomas-Wilson will take on different curatorial projects while working in a professional role to gain hands-on experience before pursuing a graduate degree in curatorial studies. Her experience in the College of Arts and Sciences energizes her outlook as she steps forward.
“I feel like I have a home here on campus,” said Thomas-Wilson. “It is inspiring to see students and faculty activated in the pursuit of learning. I am going to miss just being in the environment, being surrounded by community constantly. I am reminded of the never-ending light that each Volunteer will carry with them. This light will continue to provide me with comfort, confidence, and a desire to share it with others. I am happy to commit to carrying this light and purpose forward.”
by Randall Brown