06/02/2026
TAYLOR HILLEY-CARROLL
MA Exhibition | BLACK MAGIC
06.01–06.26.26
TWU West Gallery
TAYLOR HILLEY-CARROLL, a Houston native & Denton residing curator, artist, and art researcher, is graduating from TWU with a M.A. in Art History & Visual Culture. Her research and curation process is based on womanist frameworks, with a focus on elevating Black, feminist, & q***r narratives within the art canon. She is currently focused on expanding her curatorial work through womanist methodologies & critical research. She has worked across museums, historic homes, & galleries; giving her a well-rounded understanding of the art & cultural sector. She is very passionate about developing curatorial & research practices that amplify marginalized voices and expand inclusive approaches within both museum and academic spaces.
"My practice as a curator & researcher examines how Black women use visual culture, spirituality, & ancestral practices as forms of healing, resistance, & knowledge production. "Black Magic," the 5th exhibition she's curated, is grounded in Black feminist thought, hoodoo traditions, & spiritual activism; exhibiting works that challenge Eurocentric frameworks within art history that have historically marginalized Black women’s spiritual & creative practices. I was particularly interested in how visual art functions not only as aesthetic expression, but also as ritual & ancestral communication. This exhibition emerged from my own journey toward healing & spiritual reconnection, where I came to understand art & spirituality as essential pathways toward restoration & self-understanding. Through studying Black women artists in the Dallas–Fort Worth area, I recognized hoodoo and ancestral practices as counterhegemonic forms of knowledge that reclaim erased histories & center Black women’s lived experiences.
Toward the completion of my thesis, I also began recognizing that my curatorial and research approaches were aligned with womanist curatorial methodologies, particularly through their emphasis on embodied knowledge and collective healing. This realization continues to shape my interest in exploring how womanist frameworks can transform curatorial practices."
