curriculum vita
A native of North Carolina, Keisha's home
and studio are in San Francisco, California.
| 2006 | The George Washington University, Museum Studies Distance Program in Collection Care, Course study in collections management ethics, legal issues and practice and preventive conservation philosophy, theory and practical applications, graduate certificate |
| 2000 | Duke University, Certificate in Communications, Course study in design, advertising, marketing, editing and publishing |
| 1999 | Duke University, Bachelor of Arts, Degrees in African and African American Studies, History and Women's Studies, honors |
| 2005 | The RBMHB Family Foundation Scholarship |
| 2003 | 10 Best Art Exhibitions of 2003, Durham Herald-Sun |
| 2002 | Lillian Smith Book Award, Southern Regional Council, the South's oldest literary honor awarded each year to writers whose work carries on Lillian Smith's legacy of illuminating the condition of racial and social inequity in the South and proposing a vision of justice and human understanding |
| 2002 | Best Book of 2001, Library Journal, the award recognizes the year's most outstanding work from a field of more than four thousand candidates |
| 2002 | Carey McWilliams Book Award, Multicultural Review, the award recognizes ground-breaking work related to the American experience of cultural diversity |
| 1999 | Julia Harper Day Award for Social Documentary Work, Center for Documentary Studies, Duke University, the award recognizes exemplary bodies of documentary work |
| 1998– | Studio artist, independent curator, San Francisco, CA, 2007–; Raleigh, NC, 1998–2007 |
| 1999–2007 | Principal, creative director, KERoberts Design, San Francisco, CA, 2007–; Raleigh, NC, 1998–2007 |
| 1999–2001 | Project coordinator, photograph co-editor, associate editor, Behind the Veil: Documenting African American Life in the Jim Crow South, Center for Documentary Studies, Duke University, Durham, NC |
| 1998–1999 | Oral history researcher, Behind the Veil: Documenting African American Life in the Jim Crow South, Center for Documentary Studies, Duke University, Durham, NC |
| 1998 | Primary source researcher, Community Stories, Center for Documentary Studies, Duke University, Durham, NC |
| 1997 | Assistant grant author, Center for Documentary Studies, Duke University, Durham, NC |
| 2009–2011 | The Journey of Hope in America: Art Quilts Inspired by President Barack Obama, curated by Dr. Carolyn Mazloomi, National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center, Wilberforce, OH |
| 2009 | Quilts for Obama: Celebrating the Inauguration of Our 44th President, curated by Roland Freeman, The Historical Society of Washington, DC , Washington, DC |
| 20092008 | Quilts and Human Rights, curated by Dr. Marsha MacDowell and Lynne Swanson, Michigan State University Museum, East Lansing, MI |
| 2007–2010 | Textural Rhythms: Constructing the Jazz Tradition, curated by Dr. Carolyn Mazloomi, American Folk Art Museum, New York, NY; Museum of the African Diaspora, San Francisco, CA; Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History, Baltimore, MD; New York State Museum, Albany, NY; Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, Detroit, MI; Museum of Texas Tech, Lubbock, TX; City of Charles, Lake Charles, LA; HUB-Robeson Galleries, Penn State University, University Park, PA |
| 2007 | Textile Monuments, curated by Editha Carpenter, Greenhill Center for North Carolina Art, Greensboro, NC |
| 2006 | Silent Voices, Loud Echoes, curated by Richard Watson, African American Museum of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA |
| 2006 | Epoch, curated by Elena Soboleva, Koffler Gallery, Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| 2006 | Snap to Grid, Los Angeles Center for Digital Art, Los Angeles, CA |
| 2006 | Snapshot: An Exhibition of Digital Prints by National Artists, ARC Gallery, Chicago, IL |
| 2006 | Parallels and Intersections: Artists Quilt a World, curated by Dr. Carolyn Mazloomi, National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and Museum, Cincinnati, OH |
| 2006 | FIBERPLAY, Creative Spirit Center, Midland, MI; International Quilt Festival-Houston, Houston, TX; International Quilt Festival-Chicago, Rosemont, IL |
| 2006 | Recent Work by Keisha Roberts, Women's Center of Fayetteville, Fayetteville, NC |
| 2005 | ARTQUILTSfive, curated by Gail Benoit, Page Walker Arts & History Center, Cary, NC |
| 2005 | 9 x 12, Fort Worth Community Arts Center, Fort Worth, TX |
| 2005 | Fire and Water: Connecting Natural and Social Forces, St. Joseph's Historic Foundation at Hayti Heritage Center, Durham, NC |
| 2005 | Recent Work by Keisha Roberts, Page-Walker Arts & History Center, Cary, NC |
| 2005 | Family Stitches: An African American Quilt Exhibition, St. Joseph's Historic Foundation at Hayti Heritage Center, Durham, NC |
| 2004–2006 | FABRICations: Art Quilts, curated by Dr. Christine Hager-Braun, Page-Walker Arts & History Center, Cary, NC; Aiken County Historical Museum, Aiken, SC; Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival, Hampton, VA |
| 2002, 2003 | Artist Hanging, curated by Nicole Welch, Contemporary Art Museum, Raleigh, NC |
| 2002 | In the Footsteps: Continuing the Legacy of African American Quilting, curated by Dr. Ann Roth, Rotunda Gallery, Meredith College, Raleigh, NC |
| 2006 | Visual Voice: Transforming Silence Through Contemporary Quilted Art, curator, Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH |
| 2006 | ARTQUILTSimages, co-organizer, juror Hollis Chatelain, Page-Walker Arts & History Center, Cary, NC; Pennsylvania National Quilt Extravaganza, Fort Washington, PA; Pacific International Quilt Festival, Santa Clara, CA; Primedia Gallery, Golden, CO |
| 2006 | Nearness of You: Memory and Commemoration in Quiltmaking, curator, Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival, Hampton, VA; Pennsylvania National Quilt Extravaganza, Harrisburg, PA |
| 2005 | ARTQUILTSjourneys, co-organizer, jurors Dr. Lynn Jones Ennis and Jacquelyn Hughes Mooney, Page-Walker Arts & History Center, Cary, NC |
| 2000–2004 | Trying Not to Forget: Portraits from the Behind the Veil Collection, co-curator with Susan Harbage Page, Center for Documentary Studies, Duke University, Durham, NC; St. Joseph's Historic Foundation at Hayti Heritage Center, Durham, NC; Duke University, Durham, NC |
| 2000 | Heavy Wings: African American Life in the Jim Crow South, curatorial assistant to Dr. Blair Murphy, The John Hope Franklin Collection for African and African American Documentation at the Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library, Duke University, Durham, NC |
| 2004 | The Founding Father: Celebrating the Legacy and Contributions of Dr. James E. Shepard, James E. Shepard House, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC |
| 2003 | It's About Time: The North Carolina Freedom Monument Project, North Carolina Freedom Monument Project, Chapel Hill, NC, with the North Carolina Museum of History, Raleigh, NC |
| 2002 | The Hall of Fame: Honoring Groundbreaking North Carolina African American Attorneys, North Carolina Association of Black Lawyers Foundation, Durham, NC; North Carolina Bar Association, Raleigh, NC |
| 2006 | family :: home :: memory, community art quilt, North Carolina Museum of History, Raleigh, NC |
| 2006 | Stitching Sweet Memories: A Tribute to Janet Lamkin, community memorial quilt, North Carolina Museum of Art Foundation, Raleigh, NC; Fayetteville Museum of Art, Fayetteville, NC; Fayetteville State University, Fayetteville, NC |
| 2006 | Artist in residence, Wake County Public Schools, NC |
| 2005 | Artist at Work: African American Quilt Circle, community art quilt, North Carolina Museum of History, Raleigh, NC |
| 2002, 2003, 2005 | African American Cultural Celebration, community art project, North Carolina Museum of History, Raleigh, NC |
| no year | Gregg Museum of Art + Design, Raleigh, NC |
| no year | North Carolina Museum of History, Raleigh, NC |
| no year | Michigan State University Museum, East Lansing, MI |
| no year | Women's Center of Fayetteville, Fayetteville, NC (Purchased by the North Carolina Museum of Art Foundation) |
| no year | Creative Spirit Center, Midland, MI |
| no year | Numerous private collections in the United States, England, India, South Africa and Jamaica |
| 2010 | The Journey of Hope in America: Art Quilts Inspired by President Barack Obama, by Dr. Carolyn Mazloomi |
| 2007 | Textural Rhythms: Constructing the Jazz Tradition, by Dr. Carolyn Mazloomi |
| 2005 | The Changing Face of Tradition: African American Quilting, produced by Amy Nelson |
| 2006 | We Wish You Knew: What Juried Exhibition Organizers Wish They Could Tell Artists (Jackson, MS; Studio Art Quilt Association AL/AK/KA/MI Regional Newsletter) |
| 2006 | Nearness of You: Memory and Commemoration in Quiltmaking, exhibition catalog |
| 2006 | s06 Conference Resource Guide: Your Professional Image, editor, designer (Raleigh, NC: Professional Art Quilt Alliance-South) |
| 2005 | f05 Conference Resource Guide: Getting Your Fiber Art into Private, Corporate & Museum Collections, editor, designer (Raleigh, NC: Professional Art Quilt Alliance-South) |
| 2001 | Remembering Jim Crow: African Americans Tell About Life in the Segregated South, managing editor, author of chapter six Resistance and Political Struggles, photograph co-editor (New York, NY: The New Press) |
| 2000 | The Gods Bring Threads to Webs Begun, by Dr. William H. Chafe, photograph editor (Bloomington, IN: Journal of American History) |
| 1999 | American Communities: An Oral History Approach, editor, contributor, oral historian (Durham, NC: Center for Documentary Studies) |
| 2003 | Healing from the Land, oral history consultant, designer (Chapel Hill, NC: The Resourceful Communities Program of The Conservation Fund with the Sandhills Family Heritage Association) |
| 2001 | Remembering Jim Crow: An American RadioWorks Documentary, researcher (St. Paul, MN: American RadioWorks/Minnesota Public Radio) |
| 2001 | Voices from Behind the Veil: Selections from the Center for Documentary Studies Oral History Collection, researcher (St. Paul, MN: American RadioWorks/Minnesota Public Radio) |
| 2001 | Radio Fights Jim Crow, researcher (St. Paul, MN: American RadioWorks/Minnesota Public Radio) |
| 1999 | American Communities: An Oral History Approach, editor, contributor, oral historian (Durham, NC: Center for Documentary Studies) |
| 2006 | f06: Five Things You Need to Know to Further Your Fiber Art Career, conference co-chair, moderator, Professional Art Quilt Alliance-South, Page-Walker Arts & History Center, Cary, NC |
| 2006 | s06: Your Professional Image, conference co-chair, moderator, Professional Art Quilt Alliance-South, Meredith College, Raleigh, NC; Page-Walker Arts & History Center, Cary, NC |
| 2005 | Finding My Art, My Voice: A Creative Journey, guest lecturer, North Carolina State University School of Management, Raleigh, NC |
| 2005 | f05: Getting Your Work into Private, Corporate and Public Collections, conference co-chair, moderator, Professional Art Quilt Alliance-South, Meredith College, Raleigh, NC: Page-Walker Arts & History Center, Cary, NC |
| 2005 | Sharing What Was Seen, Felt and Heard: Considering Visual, Literary and Pedagogical Outcomes of Fieldwork, guest lecturer, Center for Documentary Studies, Duke University, Durham, NC |
| 2005 | Imagery and Imagination: Surface Design in Fiber Art, guest lecturer, Triangle Weavers' Association, Chapel Hill, NC |
| 2001 | A Portrait of Strength: An Examination of Community in the Family Photographs of the John Hope Franklin and Behind the Veil Collections, guest lecturer, The John Hope Franklin Collection for African and African American Documentation, Rare Book, Manuscript and Special Collections Library, Duke University, Durham, NC |
| 2000 | Something Dearly Kept: Public and Private Representations of African American Life, lecturer, Center for Documentary Studies, Duke University, Durham, NC |
| 2000 | Experiences Behind the Veil: From Fieldwork to Publication and Exhibition, At the Crossroads Transforming Community Locally and Globally, panelist, Annual Meeting of the Oral History Association, Duke University, Durham, NC |
| 2000 | Quilted Terrain: The Contested Legacy of Quilting and the Underground Railroad, guest lecturer, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC |
| 1999 | Continuing a Legacy: A Personal Quilting Narrative, guest lecturer, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC |
| 2009– | Textile Arts Council, de Young Museum, Ethnic Textiles Study Group, 2010– |
| 2009– | American Craft Council, professional member |
| 2009– | Studio Art Quilt Associates, portfolio committee, 2009– |
| 2008– | Textile Society of America |
| 2007– | Duke Club of Northern California |
| 2006– | The Alliance for American Quilts, board of directors, 2006–; Quilters' Save Our Stories task force, 2010–; web committee, 2009– |
| 2006– | Women of Color Quilters Network |
| 1999– | Duke Alumni Association |
| no year | Previous |
| 2005–2007 | Gregg Museum of Art + Design, board of directors, acquisitions committee |
| 2005–2007 | Contemporary Art Museum, program development committee |
| 2003–2009 | North Carolina John Muir Foundation, board of directors |
| 2005–2006 | National Conference of Artists-North Carolina Chapter, board of directors, 2006; public relations chair pro tem, 2006 |
| 2003–2004 | African American Dance Ensemble, board of directors |
| 2002–2007 | Professional Art Quilt Alliance-South, president pro tem, 2005–2006; executive board, 2005–2006; exhibition co-chair, 2004–2006; conference co-chair, 2005–2006 |
| 2002–2007 | Annual African American Cultural Celebration, North Carolina Museum of History, advisory board |
| 2002–2004 | North Carolina Freedom Monument Project, Wake County steering committee |
| 2002, 2004 | Triangle Art Quilters |
| 2001–2007 | African American Quilt Circle |
| 2001–2005 | Women Business Owners Network |
| 2000–2002 | Behind the Veil: Documenting African American Life in the Jim Crow South, exhibition advisory committee for NEH-funded historical exhibition (planning phase), organized by the Center for Documentary Studies, Duke University and Levine Museum of the New South |
| 1999–2001 | Center for Documentary Studies, Duke University, exhibition advisory committee, search committee |
| 1999–2000 | The Bishop's House Review, Duke University, editorial board |
interests
Exhibiting, preserving and interpreting fine craft and art quilts; ethnic textiles, particularly Tibetan Buddhist and African; contemporary art; abstraction; curatorial practice; collections management
