Arlene Dávila

Arlene Dávila is a Professor of Anthropology and Social and Cultural Analysis at New York University, whose work focuses on questions of cultural equity, Latinx studies and the political economy of culture. She is the author of multiple books focusing on Latinx cultural politics spanning the media, urban politics, museums, visual culture and contemporary art markets, including Latinos Inc: Marketing and the Making of a People and Barrio Dreams: Puerto Ricans, Latinos and the Neoliberal City, and Latino Spin: Public Image and the Whitewashing of Race. 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 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