Maria Elena Bedoya Hidalgo

I am a cultural historian and independent curator. Currently, I am working as a postdoctoral research associate on a 3-year AHRC-funded project entitled Comics and Race in Latin America (p-I James Scorer and Peter Wade co-I). I hold a PhD from the Society and Culture Programme at the University of Barcelona and an MA in Latin American Studies from the Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar in Quito. In addition, I am Lecturer on the MA in Museums and Heritage at UASB, Quito.

My work combines historical curatorship and art. I have held exhibitions in Ecuador and Spain. I recently co-edited the book Comunidades digitales, museos e historia pública: experiencias en torno a América Latina (2023), published by Universidad del Externado (Colombia) and USFQ Press (Ecuador). Another of my publications is the book Antigüedades y nación: coleccionismo de objetos precolombinos y musealización en los Andes 1892-1915 (2020), published by Universidad del Rosario, Universidad Javeriana and Universidad Santo Tomás de Colombia.

My articles include "Artists, folklorists and cultural institutions in Ecuador (1944-1964)", published in Latin American and Caribbean Ethnic Studies (LACES), and "Museum, archaeology and Nation: González Suárez and the Society for American-Historical Studies", published in the Museum History Journal, both by Routledge Taylor and Francis, to name a few.

I am currently involved in curating an online exhibition on comics and race in Latin America. In addition, I have participated in workshops on anti-racism with comics artists in Peru, Argentina and Colombia as part of my postdoctoral project. My research interests focus on cultural history, public history, historical curating, museums, visuality and material culture. I am a member of the International Federation of Public History, and Archiveros sin Fronteras, Ecuador.

2016   Ph.D. of Universitat de Barcelona in Culture and Society Program. Research field: Latin American History. Barcelona, Spain (2012-2016)

2006   Master Latin American Studies, Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar, Ecuador (2004-2006).