Jenna Wixson is originally from Colorado and currently resides in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. She holds an MA in art history from San Jose State University. In addition to her academic teaching practice, she spent more than two decades as an art museum educator and interpretive specialist, working on exhibitions, interpretative planning, and public programs for several major institutions including the Denver Art Museum, MoMA, and the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum.
Wixson has presented research on teaching and learning in museums nationally and internationally. Her work on accessible interpretation and public engagement has been published in the Art Education Journal and Museum Magazine. She has also curated touring exhibitions and won several awards for interpretive design and museum educational programming. As an art historian and museum educator, she has a passion for teaching in collections and expertise in art history, art education pedagogy, and museum studies. Her professional scholarship explores the intersections of art history, living traditions, and contemporary Indigenous art.
Wixon’s teaching practice is largely grounded in constructivist and social-emotional learning models. She advocates for and promotes learning environments that provide generous access to ideas, open dialogue, resources, and spaces. She believes that embracing a diversity of people, communities, and cultures enhances our understanding of the world through a global and inclusive lens, enabling deeper connections between the history of art and our lived experiences. Wixson’s pedagogical approach is cross-disciplinary, incorporating art-making and design thinking into art history curriculum to better align course material with students’ interests and creative practices. Having worked with undergraduate and graduate students of all backgrounds, she is committed to meeting the needs of diverse learners and empowering future generations of artists and designers to excel in their chosen fields.
RMCAD’s students are Wixson’s favorite part about teaching. She is continually inspired by the creativity and criticality they bring to art history and its theories and methodologies. As one of the co-organizers of the Annual Student Research Symposium, she has enjoyed being able to support student achievement across departments. She has also served on the Faculty Affairs Committee since 2024, which has allowed her to connect with the larger faculty body and advocate for the value of our collective work.
Course Credentialing
AH1110 – Art Historical Methods + Theories, AH1120 – Global Art History I: Prehistory to c.1300, AH1130 – Global Art History II: c.1300 to c.1980, AH2400 – Seminar in Contemporary Art, AH3000 – Topics in the History of Art
