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Colin Fanning

Philadelphia Museum of Art

Kansan by birth, Coloradan at heart, and currently residing in Philadelphia, I’m a museum professional, scholar of design history and material culture, and occasional freelance wordsmith. I received my MA from the Bard Graduate Center and hold a BFA in interior design from Syracuse University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts.

My research interests encompass a broad range of architecture and design from the mid-nineteenth century to the present, as well as some narrower fields of inquiry like the material culture of childhood, scientific visual culture, studio craft in the United States, and the intersections of museums and new media.

I’ve worked to develop and execute exhibitions with a number of institutions, and have written in both web and print contexts. Currently, I’m the Curatorial Fellow for European Decorative Arts and Sculpture (including modern and contemporary design beyond geographic boundaries) at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Please feel free to get in touch if you’d like to talk shop.