School of Art Welcomes Designer Dori Tunstall to Lecture Series

Graphic by Ryan Slone, Photo by Ishmil Waterman

Dori Tunstall

The School of Art in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences is excited to launch the 2021-22 Visiting Lecture Series with designer, educator and advocate Elizabeth "Dori" Tunstall. The lecture series will be held virtually and will welcome Tunstall this at 5:30 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 2.

Tunstall is a design anthropologist, public intellectual and design advocate who works at the intersections of critical theory, culture and design. She is the dean of design at Ontario College of Art and Design University and the first black and black female dean of a faculty of design. 

She leads the Cultures-Based Innovation Initiative, a global network of designers, anthropologists, Indigenous scholars and activists, innovation consultants, computer scientists and leadership scholars across 24 nations. The initiative focuses on using old ways of knowing to drive innovation processes that directly benefit communities.  

"We are excited to introduce Dori and her design practice to students, faculty and the Northwest Arkansas community," said Gerry Snyder, executive director of the School of Art. "She has had a tremendous impact on the Ontario College community and design field; we look forward to expanding our understanding of design through her expertise."

As dean of design, Tunstall is leading faculty to decolonize design curriculum through respectful design. This leadership is inspiring designers and educators across the world as she and the design faculty set new precedent and tangible change is achieved.

Respectful design is described as using a variety of creative approaches to valuing different cultures and ways of knowing and making, embed Indigenous learning and principles into the design process, acknowledge Indigenous lands and our relationship to the land and design with empathy and responsibility towards everyone and everything.

"Dori Tunstall's work regarding respectful design has set new precedents in the field for what it means to practice design through a lens of decolonization and inclusion," said Ali Place, program director for graphic design. "In addition to transforming the discipline, her authenticity as a leader and her playful approach to social media are inspiration for both students and faculty alike." 

Tunstall holds a Ph.D. in anthropology from Stanford University and a Bachelor of Arts in anthropology from Bryn Mawr College. She has served as associate professor of design anthropology and associate dean at Swinburne University in Australia, and wrote the biweekly column Un-Design for The Conversation Australia.

In the United States, she taught at the University of Illinois at Chicago, organized the U.S. National Design Policy Initiative and served as a director of Design for Democracy. Tunstall has also held industry positions included UX strategists for Sapient Corporation and Arc Worldwide. 

All are invited to learn more about Dori Tunstall at 5:30 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 2, on Zoom. 

The School of Art Visiting Lecture Series is a 30-year-old tradition hosting renowned artists, designers and scholars to provide students and the community comprehensive experiences in the practice and study of fine arts and design.

This program is made possible through the generous support of the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation and the Joy Pratt Markham Visiting Lecture Endowment.