Profile: Dr. Les Joynes

Fulbright-Nehru Senior Scholar, Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, New Delhi

Research Scholar, Organization and Leadership,Columbia University, New York

Visiting Faculty, Renmin University, Beijing

Fellow, Royal Anthropological Institute and the Royal Asiatic Society, London

About: An artist and research scholar on Public Diplomacy, Dr. Les Joynes engages social engagement and artistic research in multiple geographic modalities. He is a Research Scholar on Organization and Leadership, Columbia University, New York and was 2022 Fulbright Senior Scholar at The Indira Gandhi National Center for the Arts in New Delhi where he led Fulbright field research on South Asian ritual and performance in New Delhi, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Nagaland and Sri Lanka.

Les is from Santa Barbara California, and received his education in both arts and management in the US, UK and Japan. He served as a management consultant in the 1990s serving internaitonal clients including 3M, Du Pont, Dow, Bayer, General Electric, General Motors and serves as a leadership coach at Columbia Business School, GoldAward Mentor at University of London and initiated coaching at University of Melbourne, Australia and founded Indias first Mentoring and Coaching Program serving tribal communities in Nagaland in India’s North East.

Les serves on the Editorial Board for ProjectAnywhere, a peer-reviewed journal on artistic research at the University of Melbourne and Parsons School of Art, New York and was TrAIN Research Fellow at the Centre for Transnational Art, Identity and Nation at University of the Arts London. He recently reviews for the journal for Artistic Research (JAR). Les is a professional artist represented by Thomas Jaeckel Gallery in New York and has exhibited in museums and galleries in the US, UK, France, Germany, Brazil, Thailand, China, Japan, Australia, South Korea, Mongolia, and prepares this fourth solo museum exhibition in India for 2025.

Research Focus

  • Arts in Public Diplomacy

  • Site-specific and Interdisciplinary Art in South Asia

  • Artistic Research - in practice, education and across disciplines

  • Building the future of art education: designing new MFA and PhD programs

  • Transcultural Collaboration between Universities

  • Academic Coaching

Education

Post-Doctorate (2017) School of Art and Communications, University of São Paulo, Brazil

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, 2012), Faculty of Art, Environment and Technology, Leeds Metropolitan University, UK

Masters in Fine Art (2001), Musashino Art University, Japan Monbusho Award, Tokyo, Japan

Master of Arts (1997), Fine Art, Goldsmiths, University of London, London, UK

Master of Science (1988), Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences, Boston University and Vrije Universiteit Brussels, Belgium

Bachelor of Fine Arts (1996, Honours, 1996), Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, University of the Arts, London, UK

Bachelor of Arts (cum laude, 1986), Boston University, Boston, MA

Other Education

Columbia University Visiting Scholar and Scientist Program, Columbia University, New York, USA

Studio Masterclass, James Rosenquist, Guggenheim Museum, New York, USA

Visiting Scholar, Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux-arts, Paris, France

Visiting Scholar, Taiwan Ministry of Education Huayu Scholar National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan


Curricula and Syllabi

Conceptualizing the Art School of the Future [curriculum] 

Models for Developing a Contemporary Program and School in Central Asia [curriculum] 

Evolving Boundaries: Environmental Art from the 1960s to present [syllabus] 

Building Museum Leadership: Coaching Practices in the Creative Industries [workshop]

Engaged Critique in Contemporary Art: expanded concepts of installation [tutorial/critique]

Supervision and mentorship on MFA and PhD programs in Fine Art [syllabus]

New Global: Contemporary art and border, identity and the new territorialization of public spaces [panel]

Doctoral Supervision in practice-based research [syllabus]

Searching for alternatives to the Modern, Contemporary and the Post-Post Modern: Relocating creative practice [syllabus] 

Engaging the contemporary artist with professional practices for long term critical development [workshop and panel] 

Chinese contemporary art: Parallel critical developments between the East and West from Modernism to Contemporary [syllabus] 

Awards

2022 Fulbright-Nehru Academic and Professional Excellence Award for India

2020 US Department of State, Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs Grant for Colombia

2019 US Department of State, American Arts Incubator ZERO1: Art and Technology Artist 

2017 Fulbright Hays US Public Diplomacy China Award

2017 CEC ArtsLink Foundation Grant, St. Petersburg, Russia

2017 Taiwan Ministry of Education (MOE) Language Scholar National Cheng Kung University

2017 Renmin University of China Merit Award for Teaching

2016 Wheatley Foundation Fellow, Birmingham City University, UK

2016 US Department of State Field Research Fellow, American Center for Mongolian Studies

2015 Fellow ,University of the Arts London Research Center on Transnational Art, Identity and Nation

2014 Fulbright Hays US Public Diplomacy Award for Mongolia

2014 CEC ArtsLink Foundation Grant for Mongolia

2009 Queenstown Council, Singapore Citation Award, Singapore

2009 Edwin Austin Abbey Fellowship, National Design Museum, New York

2009 Bauhaus Foundation Fellow, Dessau, Germany

2008 The Nordic Artists Center Fellowship, Norway 

2001 Musashino Art University Selection Award

2001 Japanese Ministry of Education and Culture Scholar (Monbusho) (1998-2001) 

1998 Japanese Ministry of Education and Culture Japanese Language Scholar (1997-1998)

1996 Academic Honours, Central Saint Martins College of Art, London

1995 Erasmus Scholarship, Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux-arts, Paris

1995 King Sturge Award for Sculpture, London


Conferences

ISEA International Symposium of Electronic Art, Asia Culture Center, Gwangju, Korea

Session-Chair, ProjectAnywhere Conference, Parson School of Art, New School, New York. (2018) 

Plenary Keynote Speaker on PhD research, School of Art, Peking UNiversity, Beijing (2018) 

Artist-centric practices within the museum, Museum2050, Long Museum, Shanghai (2018)

Co-Chair, Young Researcher Conference, Mongolia (2016)

International Committee, College Art Association conference (2015-present)

Japan Startup NYC, Microsoft, New York (2016)

Presidents Forum on Higher Education, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York (2016)

Keynote Speaker, Young Researcher Conference Mongolia

National University of Education and the American Center for Mongolian Studies (2015)

Royal Geographical Society Conference, London (2013)

Editorial Committee, ProjectAnywhere Conference, Parsons/ New School, New York (2015)

Panelist, Artists’ Workspaces: Portability, Contingency, Virtuality, 

College Art Association conference, Chicago (2014)

Panelist Going Beyond: Art as Adventure (CAA, Washington, DC) (2018) 

European League of Institutes in the Arts (ELIA) conferences, Seoul (2012) and Vienna (2013).


Selected Publications, Studies and Research

Diversity, Equity and Creative Practices in South Asia (2022) Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India

Reclaiming Artists Research (journal review, 2020), Journal for Artistic Research, Basel

“The Artist-centric model in museums” in Looking to New Institutional Models: China’s Cultural Landscape by Mid-Century, Ching, N and Tanner, L, (eds), Long Museum, Shanghai (2019)

Emerging models for teaching, New York: Critical Practices (2019)

“The Artist as Explorer,” in Going Beyond: Art as Adventure (2018) O’Neill et al (eds.), Newcastle, UK: Cambridge Scholars.

Interfacing Technology with Site (2019) ISEA International Symposium of Electronic Art, Korea

DrawnOver: Contemporary Drawing, Vojvodina, Serbia: Museum of Contemporary Art [catalogue]. (Joynes and Vu, 2018).

“The Artist Explorer: FormLaboratory: Geographically Dispersed Performance in Brazil (2012-2013) and Mongolia (2014)” Sao Paulo, Brazil: Escola de Comunicações e Artes, Universidade de São Paulo [post-doctoral thesis]. 

Anywhere v.1. (2015). Lowry, S. and Douglas, S. (eds.),Melbourne, Australia: University of Melbourne and New York: Parsons School of Art, Media and Technology, Parsons, New School for Design, New York. 

“The Artist as Explorer,” Washington D.C.: College Arts Association Conference            

Les Joynes and Thomas Vu in Interview” in Draw: Artists from China at  Inside Out Art Museum, New York: LeRoy Neiman Foundation [catalogue].    

“FormLaboratory” in Art and Research at the Outermost Limits of Site Specificity (2014) Lowry, S and Douglas, S. (eds.). Newcastle, Australia: Univ. of Newcastle. Joynes, L. (2014).“Nomadic and Geographically Dispersed Practice,” Chicago: College Arts 

New Institutional Models: China’s Cultural Landscape by Mid-Century, Long Museum, China (2018)

Going Beyond: Art as Adventure, O’Neill, R et al (eds), Cambridge Scholars, UK (2018)

“The Invisible and the Transvisible in contemporary art in Singapore,” in Octopus, Journal for Visual Culture: University of California, Irvine

"Multi-spatial Performance: at Bauhaus-Dessau, November 2008:  Record Dances, Bühnenstudios der Stiftung Bauhaus Dessau [Internet].

Taking the LEED: Examining the costs and benefits of environmental efficiencies,  New York (2007)

“Intelligence, technologies and applications to genomics” Legislation of genetic testing in the US and Iceland: Legislative Implications and strategies, Tokyo, Japan

Ethics and Genetic population testing - engineering best practices in the US and Iceland (2004)

Bringing Intelligence to the technological interface between technology and interface in Japan (2003)  

Clinical research development in human aging sciences, Tokyo, Japan (2003)

The Human Genome: Areas of Light and Shadow (E.Kon et al, Shokabo Publishing, Tokyo 2001)

“Some Say They Did: Some Say They Didn’t, Contemporary Art of Yoshitomo Nara at Ginza Art Space” New York: Art in America.

“The New Pathetic. Contemporary British art in the 1990s,”Vienna: Springer.

Scientific Journal Editing, Tohoku University, Japan.   

”Managing The Technology Transfer Process: The Parallel Learning Mechanism (with A. Shani) , Seoul: Dankook University Press.

The New Pathetic: Contemporary Art in London, Springer [magazine], Hamburg, Germany (1997)

“Emerging materials applications in sound: use of polycarbonates and semiconductors for digital audio” Brussels (1991) 

Joynes et al (1991) “Resourcing Tetra-butyl hydro-peroxide for radical polymerization Initiators, Brussels.

Competitive Strategies in Fiber-optic technologies, Brussels (1990)        

”Radiative mineral spectrometry and refraction technologies,” Brussels (1990)      

“Petroleum and derivatives competitive Analysis:Europe,” Brussels (1990)

“Introducing eco-recyclables into manufacturing” Brussels (1990)

“Post-Graduate Management Education Programs, Boston University (1987)

Juries and Editorial Boards

CEC ArtsLink Jury Reviewer for Artists, New York (2021)

CEC ArtsLink Jury Reviewer for Art Managers, Curators, New York (2021)

Editorial Board Member for ProjectAnywhere [journal] University of Melbourne and Parsons School of Art, New York (2015-preent)

Art and Anthropology Committee, Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain, London (2020-present)

Nordic Artist Center, Selection Committee, Norway (2008)

Harlem Arts Alliance Grant Selection Jury, New York (2010)

Teaching Graduate (PhD) 

2020-pres PhD Fine Art Tutorials and Coaching, Victorian School of the Arts, University of Melbourne, Australia

2015 PhD Masterclass on Doctoral Research and Fieldwork, Chelsea College of Art and Design, University of the Arts London, UK


Teaching Graduate (MA, MFA) 

Beyond Pedagogy (2021) a Workshop for future university art educators, School of Arts & Aesthetics, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi

Academic Careers in the Arts - Individual Pathways (upcoming coaching workshop for postgraduates)

Artmaking through Pandemic. (2020-present) Coaching to MFA students (Individual teaching), Columbia University School of the Arts

Strategies for Global Leaders: Coaching to MBAs and EMBA students (Individual teaching) (2020-present)

Entrepreneurship in the Arts: Creating Museums of the Future (seminar) (2018), Peking University Institute for Cultural Industries, Beijing

US-China Collaboration in Practice with students from China Academy of Fine Arts (2018) Fulbright US Public Diplomacy Award

American Modern and Contemporary Art History (undergraduate and graduate) Professor of Record 2013-present). Renmin University of China, Beijing. Professor of Record (2013-present) 

Experimental Art and New Media (undergraduate and graduate). (Professor of Record, 2018-present) Renmin University of China, Beijing

RA Studio Tutorials, Royal Academy of Art, London, UK (2015)

MA Fine Art Studio Tutorials, Chelsea College of Art and Design, University of the Arts London (2015)

MA Fine Art Studio Tutorials, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, UK (2015)

MA Fine Art Studio Tutorials, University of Coventry, Coventry, UK (2015)

MA Tutorials, Leeds Metropolitan University, Leeds, UK (2011-2012)

MFA Studio Tutorials, Columbia University School of the Arts (2008-2009) 

Artist Residencies

Inside Out Art Museum, Beijing (2018) 

CEC-Arts Link, St. Petersburg, Russia (2017)

Fundação Armando Alvares Penteado, São Paulo, Brazil (ResArtis, 2013)

Seoul Foundation for Art and Culture, Seoul, Korea (ResArtis, 2012)

FormLAB, Brazilian Museum of Sculpture (2012) 

Treignac Projet, France (2010)

Toosneger Foundation-Dordrecht Printmaking and Painting Residency, Holland (2008) 

Abbey Fellowship in Public Art, National Academy Museum, New York (2009)

Nordic Artists Center (NKD), Dalsasen, Norway (ResArtis, 2008)

Nagasawa Woodblock Printmaking Fellowship, Awaji, Japan (2006)

Poznan Summer Academy Residency, Poznan, Poland (1993 and 1994)