Dr. Sarah Carter

Biography

Sarah Anne Carter is an interdisciplinary material culture scholar specializing in the histories of museums, material objects, childhood, and domestic interiors. Currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Design Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she also serves as the Executive Director of the Nancy M. Bruce Center for Design Material Culture. Her teaching focuses on historic interiors and material culture theory and methods, with diverse courses that engage students in the exploration of the emotional contexts surrounding American domestic life and cultural history. Among her notable publications are 'Object Lessons: Nineteenth-Century Americans Learned Make Sense Material World' (Oxford, 2018) and 'Tangible Things: Making History Objects' (Oxford, 2015), which she co-edited. Carter actively contributes to public discourse through writing in various outlets, including Avidly and The Washington Post. Prior to her current position, she was the curator and director of research at the Chipstone Foundation in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she curated exhibitions and directed programs that promoted innovative curatorial practices.

Research Interests

Experience