Tia Nichols is from Newport News, Virginia. She completed her Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art with a concentration in Printmaking and a minor in American Sign Language & Deaf Studies from the University of Virginia (UVA), and holds a Master’s in Fine Arts: Printmaking, from Wayne State University in Detroit.
In Michigan, Nichols has exhibited at the Scarab Club, Detroit Artist Market, Art Mile, East End Gallery of Marshall, The Gallery at Brewery Park, the Carr Center, Norwest Gallery, Gallery at Stones and Spoons, Mack Alive, Downriver Council for Arts, Gutman Gallery, Live Coal, Liberal Arts Gallery, Swords into Plowshares Gallery & Peace Center, Reyes|Finn, Public Pool, Russel Industrial, and the Michigan Legislature in Lansing, MI. Nationally, she has shown with Manhattan Graphics Center (MGC), Downing Gross Cultural Arts Center of Newport News, VA, Jacksonville State University, and Ruffin Gallery at UVA. Her work is in the permanent collection of Jacksonville State University.
Recently, she has served as the Gallery Director and Curator of the Carr Center of Detroit, and Chief Curator at Mack Alive on the East Side. Nichols has also worked with Wayne State University, New City Arts Initiative of Charlottesville, Virginia, Felle’s Gallery in Ferndale, Live Coal of Detroit, and BULK Space Detroit. Previously, she has been awarded to serve as the Graduate Curatorial Assistant at the Southern Graphics Council International (SGCI) Puertografico conference and received the Awagami Paper Award with SGCI for the Madison, Wisconsin conference of 2022.
In the future, Nichols hopes to continue with youth and young adults through mentorship and education as well as pursue curatorial gallery management. She plans to launch a fine and performing arts center for underrepresented members of her community.
