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Alana J. Coates is a curator, educator, and arts professional. She has held director positions in private and academic galleries in Rhode Island, Texas, and Pennsylvania. As a current Ph.D. candidate at the University of New Mexico, she is focusing on contemporary art in the Americas and writing a monograph on the work of Jesse Amado.

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Education

Ph.D. candidate in Art History, expected graduation in 2027
University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
Research focuses on Contemporary U.S. Art, Art of the Southwest & Texas

M.A. Master of Art History 
University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX

Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Administration and Leadership 
University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX                                        

B.A. Bachelor of Arts 
University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI

B.A. Bachelor of Arts in Art History 
University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI

 

Professional Experience

Predoctoral Research Fellow: Texas Papers
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
International Center for the Arts of the Americas
August 2024 – Present

Director of Exhibitions
Pennsylvania College of Art and Design, Lancaster, PA
September 2019 – May 2021

Curator of Collections and Exhibitions
Freedman Gallery at Albright College, Reading, PA
September 2018 – October 2019

Associate Director
Ruiz-Healy Art, San Antonio, TX
September 2013 – July 2018

 

Curatorial Committee Experience

Public Art Committee, San Antonio Arts Commission, Curatorial Committee 

Luminaria, Curatorial Committee 

Artist Selection Panel Participant, Public Art San Antonio (PASA) Pearsall Park

Select Awards

CAMMIE Award for curating the exhibition Thread at Clamp Light Gallery, Awarded by Artpace, Contemporary Art Month San Antonio