Kristen Joy* Owens is an independent curator, writer, and cultural programmer specializing in Black visual and material culture. Her work spans visual art, print culture, and fashion studies, approaching the historical record as a community-oriented practice of honoring Black creative production.

Influenced by her ongoing curiosities around collective resource sharing and non-traditional knowledge production, Kristen’s work bridges research and collections care with a public-facing practice. She has contributed to exhibitions, public programs, and educational initiatives with institutions including The Newark Museum of Art, Bard Graduate Center, and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). She holds an MA in Visual Culture: Costume Studies from New York University, an MS in Library and Information Science from Long Island University, and a BA in Fashion Studies from Montclair State University.

Kristen is available for curatorial projects, exhibition essays, public programming collaborations, archival management and registrar services.