About
Nicole Brown is Graduate Assistant for the William & Mary Bray School Lab and a PhD Candidate in American Studies at William & Mary; she was previously a Program Design Manager at The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.
As a first-person historical interpreter, Brown also portrays a variety of women from the Colonial and Antebellum Eras. Some of these individuals include Ann Wager, the eighteenth-century white teacher at the Williamsburg Bray School, and Monticello’s Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson.
Her ongoing academic research centers Black literacy in the Atlantic World via interdisciplinary and descendant-engaged scholarship. Brown’s work as a museum professional has taken her across the globe, presenting on interpretive techniques for “hard” histories at museums and historic sites in the United States
Brown is currently co-editing a book entitled The Williamsburg Bray School, 1760-1774: A History Through Records, Reflections, and Rediscovery slated for release in November 2024.
FAQs
What are your areas of specialization at museums or historic sites?
I can present or offer workshops on a variety of different topics. These include:
Interpretive techniques for “hard” history at museums
Inclusive first-person (i.e. character) interpretation at historic sites
Community-engaged and informed interpretive planning and program design
Interpretation on the intersection of race, education, and religion
Leadership and advocacy in promoting challenging interpretive topics
What kinds of interpretation do you specialize in?
I am a Certified Interpretive Guide (CIG) through the National Association of Interpretation. I also have basic training in Dialogic Interpretation. Over the last ten years, I have specialized in both first-person (i.e. character) and third-person interpretation and interpretive techniques.
Where can I learn more about your academic scholarship?
Great question! To learn more about my past, current, and forthcoming academic research, feel free to visit the Publications & Projects or Lectures sections of my website.
How can I contact you?
You can contact me with a request or query via my Contact section below! I will do my best to respond within 48 hours.