Mary Karcher

Mary Karcher is a PhD candidate in Art History whose research examines Black craft histories, with particular attention to quilting as visual culture, historical record, and cultural production. Their dissertation brings art-historical analysis, Black feminist theory, and social history into conversation to consider how quilts articulate memory, labor, kinship, creativity, and survival in Black communities. Their work approaches craft not as peripheral to art history but as a vital intellectual and aesthetic field, one that reshapes our understanding of artistic production, community knowledge, and Black cultural life.

Alongside their doctoral research, Karcher draws on previous experience in museum marketing and curatorial settings to inform their scholarship and teaching. They are committed to making scholarly work accessible across academic, institutional, and public-facing contexts.