Courtnie Wolfgang

Courtnie Wolfgang’s research and practice focus on the critical intersections of equitable, accessible, and radical approaches to art and design education. Since the start of her career in art education in 2001, she has taught high school visual art in public schools, conducted arts-based workshops with incarcerated juveniles and adults, developed curricular and pedagogical workshops for community teaching artists, and since 2011 has been a faculty member in higher education working with future artist educators. She is the founder and director of Middle Makerz, a free art and design community-based program for middle school-aged students in Providence, directs the Project Open Door Riso Club, and sits on the board of Providence-based arts nonprofit The Steel Yard. Her creative practices include Risograph printing, zine making, collaborative small publications, garment making, and textiles.

Her work has been published in Visual Arts Research (including guest-editing issues on queering art education and radical publications in art and design education), The Journal of Art Education, Studies in Art Education, The Journal of Social Theory in Art Education, The Journal of Prison Education and Re-entry, and The Journal of Cultural Research in Art Education, among others. Her forthcoming book (with Kevin Hsieh), Queering Art Education: Content, Pedagogy, + Advocacy, will be available open access from InSEA Press in early 2027.

The majority of Wolfgang’s life and career has been spent in the deep south of the United States, which fundamentally shapes her perspectives on access, equity, and justice in arts and education. She earned her BFA in Photography and MA in Art Education at the University of Georgia and a PhD in Art and Visual Culture Education at The Ohio State University.