Kelly Walters
Assistant Professor, Communication Design
Email
kelly.walters@newschool.edu
Office Location
L - 2 West 13th Street
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Profile
Kelly Walters is an Assistant Professor of Communication Design and the Associate Director of the BFA Communication Design at Parsons School of Design. She is founder of Bright Polka Dot, an interdisciplinary design practice, which focuses on print, digital, exhibition and textile design. Her research investigates how socio-political frameworks and shifting technology influence the sounds, symbols and styles of black cultural vernacular in mainstream media.
Walters has worked for Alexander Isley, Inc. Designers, the RISD Museum, SFMOMA, and Blue State. She has also previously taught at the University of Bridgeport, Rhode Island School of Design, University of San Francisco, University of Connecticut and Central Saint Martins. From 2015–2016, she was awarded an Association of Independent Colleges of Art & Design (AICAD) Teaching Fellowship in the Graphic Design program at California College of the Arts. Walters received dual degrees at the University of Connecticut, earning a BFA in Communication Design and a BA in Communication Sciences. She completed her MFA in Graphic Design from the Rhode Island School of Design.
Recent Publications
The Black Experience in Design: Identity, Reflection & Expression, Creative Director + Co-editor with Anne H. Berry, Kareem Collie, Penina Laker, Lesley-Ann Noel, Jennifer Rittner (2022)
Black, Brown + Latinx Design Educators: Conversations on Design and Race (2021)