Nia Ashley ’16, a multi-hyphenate professional — artist, writer, producer, and media artist, will soon add another title to her list of achievements: Barnard educator.
“Teaching and arts education have always been integral to my practice as an artist,” said Ashley.
In spring 2027, Ashley will co-teach a course with Claire Tow Professor of Africana Studies Monica Miller as a Gildersleeve Professor.
“The Gildersleeve Professorship brings distinguished scholars to Barnard for a semester or series of events,” said Miller. “They are often working at the intersection of academia and the arts, and give students a window into their interdisciplinary practices and knowledge.”
About four months ago, Ashley received one of the Zora Neale Hurston Grant awards for her exhibition project, “A Way Out of No Way.” Ashley’s exhibition will detail Black Barnard history from 1925 to 2025, celebrating 100 years of Black students, faculty, staff, and scholarship.
For the past three years, Ashley has also been developing a documentary, Black at Barnard, a look at Black women at Barnard through archival footage and over 40 interviews with alumnae, faculty, and staff. The exhibition is slated to culminate in the screening of the documentary.
Miller, a mentor of Ashley’s, posed a question: was there a way to engage with students while creating the exhibition?
“She came up with this loose idea about teaching a class while building the exhibition and then pushed me to apply for the professorship,” said Ashley.
Students will help prepare for this exhibition, combing through materials with both Ashley and Miller.
“In her role as Gildersleeve Professor, Nia will create (with me and our students) an exhibition on Barnard's Black alums, faculty, staff, a long overdue examination and recognition of over 100 years of institutional history,” said Miller.
Ashley is excited for the opportunity to be on the other side of the Barnard classroom. She comes with an interesting perspective, knowing exactly what it’s like to be a Barnard student, an experience she can draw from when planning her course.
“I hope that this class is just one of the many ways that Barnard chooses to engage with its own history, and with different demographics in its student body,” said Ashley.
She reminisced on her undergraduate years, citing the professors who helped lay the foundation for her artistic career such as Miller and Professor of English and Africana Studies Kim F. Hall. “These are women I deeply admire, whose work as professors has fundamentally changed my life,” said Ashley. “I feel very grateful for the opportunity to potentially be able to do that for someone else.”
Ashley isn’t the only Barnard alumna in her family, her mother, Michele Ashley, graduated in 1988.
“Barnard is really a part of us. It's something that we share. My mom also works in public education in New York City. I have always seen that aspect of myself as a continuation of her practice and of her commitment to the education of children,” said Ashley.
“This opportunity feels like I’m stepping into a path that has already been laid.”
For students interested in learning more about Ashley’s work ahead of the course, her films are available to stream on her website.