Scholarly Landscape
About
The searchable database provides a snapshot of the current research and scholarship landscape from published literature on the development of cultural spaces and on Black women’s arts leadership. The literature database is an output of a short-term project conducted in Spring 2024 by two graduate student research assistants: Morgan Gilbert (PhD student) and Nathaniel Thompson (MA student). The database highlights the current landscape of studies conducted on the two key foci for the fellowship study. Additionally, a literature review summary is provided for developing cultural spaces.
Methodology
Under the guidance and mentoring of Dr. Wells, the graduate student research assistants each conducted a literature review: (1) a systematic review to analyze literature on the development of cultural zones, plazas, hubs, districts, centers, and villages—collectively ‘cultural spaces’; and (2) an exploratory review investigating if and what research and scholarship has been conducted on Black women’s community arts and cultural leadership within the last decade. The database highlights the important need for more research to be conducted on Black women as arts and cultural leaders making and keeping cultural places for communities of color to thrive.
Searchable Literature Database
The culmination of this project was the creation of a searchable database of the literature collected and reviewed for the fellowship study.