Faculty

Profile

Laura Nova is an artist, designer, educator, and activator who lives and works on New York’s Lower East Side, connecting generations and diverse communities around public health and the environment. The first Public Artist in Residence to be embedded in NYC’s Department for the Aging, Nova designs participatory projects – which include performances, hands-on craft kits, technologically infused textiles, interactive video portraits and billboards – to enhance social wellness and decrease social isolation. Supported by numerous artist residencies and grants, her work has been featured at the New Museum, Museum at Eldridge Street, Brooklyn Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Pioneer Works, Real Art Ways, Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona, Substation Gallery in Johannesburg, South Africa and the National Arts Center in Tokyo, Japan. Nova received her B.F.A./ B.A. from Cornell University and M.F.A. from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. After serving as a Research Associate at Goldsmiths College in London, she taught at Bloomfield College, New Jersey; Wits School of the Arts, Johannesburg, South Africa; IDEA/United World College of the Adriatic in Duino, Italy; Jeonju University, South Korea, and more recently, at Parsons School of Design where she is designing and teaching in the CareLab and the Multispecies Lab. Currently an Urban Field Station NaturePLACE artist, she is supported by the USDA Forest Service and the Nature of Cities to create projects that advocate for the care and longevity of humans and trees.

Degrees Held

B.F.A. and B.A. from Cornell University

M.F.A. from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Recent Publications

Care as Kindship, The Kinship with Trees and Forests: How to cultivate reciprocal relationships with trees and forests, Roundtable, The Nature of Cities, 16 July 2025.

Laura Nova: Creating Art Across Generations, ALL Arts, The WNET Group, PBS Channel 13, aired and streaming since December 13, 2023.

NYC Social Club: Design for the Future, Final Report prepared by Laura Nova, Public Artist In Residence (PAIR), NYC Department for the Aging and NYC Department for Cultural Affairs, July 2020.

Performances and Appearances

Nova participated in festivals like IDEA City, Art in Odd Places, River to River, and ISEA.

Research Interests

Public art, socially engaged art, intergenerational design, and storytelling
Public health and the environment, care

Awards And Honors

Nova has received grants from the Harpo Foundation, MAP Fund, National Endowment of the Arts, New York Foundation of the Arts, New York State Council of the Arts, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, PBS/POV, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, and Wave Farm. Her residencies include Abrons Art Center, CEC ArtsLink, Center for Book Arts, SU CASA, the Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island National Monument, Art Center on Governors Island, Vermont Studio Center, Women’s Studio Workshop, Marble House Project, and LMCC Workspace.

Portfolio

www.lauranova.com