At the intersection of art, culture, and healing, Noel King is expanding the boundaries of deaf artistic expression. A PhD candidate in Expressive Therapies at Lesley University and Board-Certified Art Therapist, King also serves as Curator at the Washburn Arts Center Gallery under Gallaudet University’s Office of Arts, Culture, and Experience (ACE). As the world’s only university dedicated to the education of deaf and hard of hearing students, Gallaudet offers a vital foundation for Deaf culture, higher education, and leadership- a context that shapes every aspect of King’s work.
King’s first major exhibition, Beyond the Waves: Deaf Art, opened September 29, 2025, and runs through April 3, 2026. The exhibition traces deaf art from the 1950s to the present, beginning with creations that predate the introduction of Deaf View/Image Art (De’VIA) at the first Deaf Way festival in 1989 and continuing through contemporary and emerging practices. The exhibition coincides with the return of that landmark festival in a new form, Deaf Way: Film Festival, celebrating Deaf creativity across mediums.
Beyond the Waves honors that legacy while inviting visitors to reflect on the future of Deaf art. Featured artists include Christine Sun Kim, Chella Man, and Janhavi Khemka- creators whose work engages questions of identity across Deafness, race, gender, and culture. In Deaf communities, King notes, artistic and personal connections often span generations, forming a shared history this exhibition seeks to surface and honor. The central curatorial question asks: What might Deaf art look like beyond labels such as “Deaf artist” or “De’VIA artist”? And how might future generations define their creative lives on their own terms?
King’s curatorial practice is deeply informed by 17 years as a mental health therapist and art therapist specializing in work with Deaf and marginalized communities. That clinical background revealed how traditional, talk-based therapy can fall short and how creative, embodied expression can be a more culturally attuned path toward healing and understanding.
At Lesley University, King’s doctoral research uses arts-based, trauma-informed methods to explore identity and mental health among Deaf Korean American adoptees. “The same principles guide my curatorial work,” King explains. “It’s about honoring lived experience, creating platforms for underrepresented voices, and fostering spaces where people can be seen, heard, and empowered.”
Looking ahead, King shares a message for aspiring artists and therapists who hope to follow a similar path:
“If you’re driven to be an agent of change in your field, the PhD program in Expressive Therapies at Lesley University is for you. This program doesn’t just teach theory. It invites you to think differently, build new tools, and become a changemaker in your communities. If you want to make a meaningful impact through art, healing, and activism, you’ll find support here to do just that.”
