Lecturer in Visual Communication (Contextual Studies)

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Dr Lucy Howarth

Dr Lucy Howarth is a Lecturer in Visual Communication at UCA Canterbury, specializing in contextual studies. Her research interests include twentieth-century art, gender studies, and the European Constructivist movement. Lucy has a rich background in curatorial work, having collaborated with major institutions like Tate Britain and Leeds Art Gallery. Her work on the British Constructivist artist Marlow Moss has established her as a key figure in the field.

Bio

From a background in Fine Art, to a PhD in Art History, Lucy has taught at several UK universities, including Plymouth, York and now UCA; in 2025 she achieved professional recognition as an Advance HE Fellow (FHEA).

Lucy is a curator and art historian, with published writing, ranging from articles in academic journals and art magazines, and chapters in edited books, to exhibition publications and websites. She has peer-reviewed for academic journals. Lucy has worked as a researcher and curator at art institutions including Tate Britain and Tate St. Ives, Hastings Contemporary, Leeds Art Gallery and Museum Haus Konstruktiv in Zürich.

Lucy collaborates with artists, galleries and institutions developing critical and historical contexts for contemporary practice.

Research statement

Lucy’s interests are in contemporary arts practice and twentieth century art, craft and design. She has specialisms in the European Constructivist movement, British art, and representations of gender/identity. An ongoing research interest is in art school pedagogies and the formation of institutional histories and mythologies. 

Lucy’s PhD research was on the queer British Constructivist artist Marlow Moss, and examined the intersection of modernist practice and postmodern legacy. Her expertise on Marlow Moss makes her a point-of-call for museums and collections internationally, and she has contributed to exhibitions, website material, acquisitions (for example in consultation with the Vrouwen van het Rijksmuseum research group, Amsterdam in 2023) and film projects (such as the 2022 documentary De Verdwenen Lijnen van Marlow Moss with the MuHKA in Antwerp).

In 2026, Lucy was key-note Speaker at the Expert Meeting: Marlow Moss, held at the Kunstmuseum Den Haag – the papers were collected into a publication supported by MOED (the online Museum of Equality and Difference). 

Lucy is Co-Curator of the exhibition Creating Space: The Constructivist Marlow Moss, with Leonor Antunes, Tacita Dean, Florette Dijkstra and Ro Robertson, 2 April 2026-26 July 2026, at the Georg Kolbe Museum in Berlin, and has contributed to the accompanying publication with an essay, and as part of the editorial team. 

  • Ecole du Louvre, with Bibliothèque Kandinsky of the Centre Pompidou, Paris – Art History Master's Jury (2024-2025).  
  • Kingston University, Subject EE for the Critical and Historical Studies modules on the BA Graphic Design, Interaction Design and Illustration Animation courses (from August 2025).
Dr Lucy Howarth

Research outputs

All of Dr Lucy's research outputs and activities are available on UCA's online research portal, UCARO.

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