Arlene Dávila is a Professor of Anthropology and American Studies at New York University, and a public intellectual focusing on questions of cultural equity, Latinx art and critical race studies. She is the author of multiple books focusing on Latinx cultural politics spanning the media, urban politics, museums and contemporary art markets. Her latest book: Latinx Art: Artists, Markets and Politics, (Duke Press 2020) was selected as one of the best art books of 2020 by the New York Times and ARTnews, and a favorite book by Smithsonian scholars and Artnet News.

She is also the founding director of The Latinx Project, an interdisciplinary center focusing on Latinx art and culture and hosting artists and curatorial projects at NYU. Among other awards, she’s a Guggenheim Fellow and the winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association of Latino/a/x Anthropology and the Excellence in Diversity Award from the College Art Association. Professor Davila is especially committed to advancing Latina representation in the arts through an inter-university partnerships to support Latina artists and scholars pursuing careers in the visual arts.