Ashley Williams

Updated: December 2022

[email protected] | [email protected]

Education

In Progress Ph.D., Museum Education and Visitor-Centered Curation, Florida State University,
Tallahassee, FL

2017 M.A., magna cum laude, Art History, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Qualifying Paper (QP), The Mosque Lamp of the Mamluk Ruler Karim al-Din within the Cross-
Cultural Contexts of Abrahamic Traditions, supervised by Dr. Esra Akın-Kıvanç.

2015 B.A., magna cum laude, Art History, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Area of focus: Art History

2012 A.A., magna cum laude, Pasco Hernando State College, Spring Hill, FL
Member: Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society, Psi Beta Psychology Honor Society, The International
Club

Academic Work Experience

August 2022 – Present Education Intern, The Ringling, Sarasota, FL

Developed a K-12 school tour for an upcoming, permanent circus museum exhibition, The Greatest Show on Earth.
Facilitated programming for families, community outreach, and homeschool groups. Facilitated virtual and in-
person museum tours.

July 2021 – August 2022 Museum Assistant, Gadsden Arts Center and Museum, Quincy, FL
Developed and facilitated programs for the ArtZone, a free educational space in the museum featuring five monthly
projects related to current exhibitions. Assisted curation with condition reporting, installation, and research.

Aug. 2020 – July 2021 Lead Educator, Glazer Children’s Museum, Tampa, FL
Developed and taught informal and formal educational programming including field trip programs, virtual field
trips, summer and holiday camp programming, family play projects, and virtual programming through
GCM@Home. Facilitated an e-learning school support program for grades kindergarten through second grade.
Supervised volunteers and the Education Department intern.

May 2020 – Aug. 2020 Lead Camp Teacher, Glazer Children’s Museum, Tampa, FL
Presented programming related to art, culture, science, and film. Worked with the education department to ensure
the curriculum was revised and tailored for incoming groups of campers each week.

May 2019 – Aug. 2020 Gallery Assistant – Educational Initiatives, Gallery221@HCC, Tampa, FL
Led educational initiatives including gallery tours and virtual programming. Wrote grants for a pending National
Endowment for the Arts grant and a successful Treasure Tampa grant. Conducted registrar tasks including condition
reports. Developed a Campus Art Loan program to place objects from the permanent collection around campus.
Worked with contemporary artists to develop new gallery exhibits and public art, including three on-campus murals.

Sept. 2018 – May 2020 Educator, Glazer Children’s Museum, Tampa, FL

Developed and taught STEAM educational programming to grades pre-k through eighth grade for field trips and
on the museum floor. Focused on developing visual art programming using Visual Thinking Strategies. Participated
in the Great American Teach-In and local outreach. Presented programming on live television. Created virtual
programming during Covid-19 pandemic which was short-listed for The Kids in Museums’ Family Friendly
Museum Award. Maintained a $25,000 budget for museum exhibitions.

June – Aug. 2018 Assistant Camp Teacher, Glazer Children’s Museum, Tampa, FL
Assisted the lead teacher with presenting STEAM programming. Worked hands-on with children to help them with
various crafts and activities.

Jan. 2018 – Feb. 2019 Curriculum Development, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Worked directly with the Director of the School of Art and Art History to develop one-credit capstone courses for
the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art, Bachelor of Arts in Art, and Bachelor of Arts in Art History degree
programs.

Aug. 2016 - May 2020 Graduate Teaching Assistant, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Courses: Introduction to Art, Marta Slaughter, Online
Film Arts, Maureen Cox-Brown and Laura Colkitt, Online
19th Century European Art, Professor Elisabeth Fraser, In Person
Visual Cultures of the Middle East, Dr. Esra Akın-Kıvanç, In Person
Italian Renaissance Art, Professor Helena Szepe, In Person
Assisted with grading course assignments, led class lectures, corresponded with students regarding course
preparation, held consultations with students regarding assignments and grades.

Publications

2020 At Home Activities with the Glazer Children’s Museum: Cave Painting with
Ashley, Tampa Bay Parenting Magazine. Tampa, Florida: 16 – 17.

2019 Book Learning: Make the Library Part of Your Family’s Routine This School Year,
Tampa Bay Parenting Magazine. Tampa, Florida: 16 – 17.

2018 Collective Flow: Zakriya Rabani’s Divine Decks: Tampa, University of South
Florida MFA Graduating Exhibition Catalog. Tampa, Florida: University of South
Florida Contemporary Art Museum.

2017 Gradual Flux: Kate Alboreo’s Plantomachy, University of South Florida MFA
Graduating Exhibition Catalog. Tampa, Florida: University of South Florida
Contemporary Art Museum.

2016 Recognizing the Unfamiliar: Merritt Fletcher’s Fertile Ground, University of

South Florida MFA Graduating Exhibition Catalog. Tampa, Florida: University of
South Florida Contemporary Art Museum.

Conference Presentations

June 2022 “Community, Trust, and Transformation: Gaming with the Academic Art Gallery”
Association of Academic Museums and Galleries (AAMG) Conference, Logan,
Utah. https://www.aamg-us.org/2022-annual-conference/

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April 2017 “Contemplating God Through Light: The Mosque Lamp of Karim al-Din within
the Cross-Cultural Contexts of Abrahamic Religions” Midwest Art History
Society Annual Conference, Panel on Islamic Art, organized by Dr. Emily
Neumeier, Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio.

March 2017 “Light and the Abrahamic Religions: A Cross-Cultural Study on the Mosque Lamp
of Karim al-Din,” Crossing Borders, Challenging Boundaries, International
Graduate Historical Studies Conference, organized by, Central Michigan
University, Mount Pleasant, Michigan.

March 2017 “Collecting as an Identity: Exhibiting Hagop Kevorkian in New York” University
of South Florida Graduate Student Research Symposium, organized by the
University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida.

Invited Lectures

December 2017 “A Tale of Two Lunches: Cezanne’s Luncheon on the Grass and Manet’s Le
Déjeuner sur l’herbe,” in 19th Century European Art taught by Professor Elisabeth
Fraser, School of Art and Art History, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida.

March 2016 “Light and the Abrahamic Religions: A Cross-Cultural Study on the Mosque Lamp
of Karim al-Din,” in Visual Cultures of the Middle East taught by Dr. Esra Akin-
Kıvanç, School of Art and Art History, University of South Florida, Tampa,
Florida.

September 2016 “Touring the Renaissance: An Exploration of Florence through the phone app,
Hidden Florence,” in Renaissance Art taught by Professor Helena Szepe, School
of Art and Art History, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida.

Internships

March 2017 Installation Assistant, Gallery 501, Tampa, FL

Assisted the gallery director with the organization and installation of the Scholastics Art and Writing Awards
exhibition which featured works by local high school students.

May 2014 – Aug 2014 Education Department Intern, The Dali Museum, Saint Petersburg, FL
Conducted research for the Picasso/Dali, Dali/Picasso exhibition. Worked with the public during lectures and
summer art camp. Assisted in the display of student art in the museum.

Volunteer Work and Community Engagement

Jan. 2018 – May 2018 Gallery 221@HCC Dale Mabry Campus, Tampa FL
Work alongside gallery director, Amanda Poss to research and write didactic labels for exhibitions, evaluate and
write condition reports on works of art that came into the gallery’s collection, organized and entered works of art
donated to the gallery into the CollectiveAccess database.

Oct. 2016 – Nov. 2016 Aga Khan Foundation, Awareness Walk, Tampa Waterworks Park, FL
As a student ambassador, I prepared a presentation to provide visitors with information on the Aga Khan
Foundation, which brings educational programs and community enhancement to underdeveloped parts of the world.

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2008 – 2011 Pine Grove Elementary School, Brooksville, FL
Assisted Ms. Laura Santiago, kindergarten teacher, in teaching, grading, organizing paperwork, and supervising the
students.

Global Experience

February – March 2012 Humanities Abroad, Pasco Hernando State College

Paris, Munich, and Salzburg
While a student at Pasco Hernando State College, I enrolled in a Humanities course taught by Professor Jeanette
Flow that spent two weeks in Europe. My research focused on the objects, architecture, and paintings found in the
Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles. While abroad I visited a variety of museums and historic sites including,
the Musée d'Orsay, the Louvre, Versailles, Hohensalzburg Castle, and Neuschwanstein Castle.

Leadership

May 2017 – May 2018 Secretary, Art Research Forum, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Art Research Forum (ARF) is an art history organization at USF’s School of Art and Art History that seeks to make
art history more accessible to students on campus. Every Spring ARF organizes a fundraising event and writes the
Master of Fine Arts graduation exhibition catalog. Hosted public events on campus, such as a Renaissance themed
“Last Supper” end-of-semester gathering. As secretary, I kept records of events and facilitated various activities.

Aug. 2016 – May 2017 Vice President, Art Research Forum, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
I assisted the Art Research Forum President with planning community outreach and pertinent meetings.

August 2010 Student Leadership Retreat, Pasco Hernando State College, Spring Hill, FL
Participated in various leadership activities, such as working with a group of students to write a ten-minute skit,
performed the skit to work on public speaking skills, and discussed the skit with judges to develop interviewing
techniques.

Fellowships, Scholarships, and Awards

2017 James Rosenquist Scholarship for Conference Travel, University of South Florida, to
attend the International Graduate Historical Studies Conference in Mount Pleasant,
Michigan
2017 William D. Cuttler Student Travel Grant, Midwest Art History Society, to present at the
MAHS annual conference
2015 -2016 University of South Florida Art Department Scholarship
2015-2016 Carolyn M. Wilson Scholarship, University of South Florida
2013 University of South Florida Talent Grant, for undergraduate tuition
2010-2015 Florida Academic Scholarship, State of Florida, undergraduate tuition waiver
2010 P.E.O. National Women’s Philanthropy and Education Grant, for undergraduate tuition
2010 Top 10% Academic Merit Scholarship, Pasco Hernando State College, for undergraduate
tuition
2010 D.A.V.A. Academic Scholarship, for undergraduate tuition
2010 Nature Coast Tennis Foundation Academic Scholarship, for undergraduate tuition

Languages

Arabic Beginning reading and writing

Courses: Directed Study at Johns Hopkins University with Mr. Mohamed Derbi

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 Directed Study at the University of South Florida with Ms. Salwa Amer

French Intermediate reading and speaking

Courses: French I and II with Ms. Julie Dell-Jones

Affiliations

Midwest Art History Society

Florida Art Education Association
National Art Education Association
Association of Academic Museum and Galleries
Southeastern Museums Conferences
American Alliance of Museums