Tonia Hughes is a socio-politically driven visual artist working in the influential mediums of photography, mixed media, video, and installation. Her work has been shown in international, national, and regional calls for work and exhibitions such as: Harvest Works Digital Media Art Gallery (New York, New York), Wiregrass Museum of Art (Dothan, Alabama), Murmur Gallery at Eyedrum (Atlanta, Georgia), The Bedford Gallery (Walnut Creek, California), Project Gallery (Long Island, New York), Open House Gallery (Kansas City, Missouri), and Woman Made Gallery (Chicago, Illinois). The majority of her work is rooted in political, feminist, and queer theory discourse, and explores a broad range of topics and academic research.
Hughes was born in Raleigh, North Carolina and grew up in the southeastern region of the United States. She graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree from Columbus State University in 2004. In 2008, she completed her MFA in photography and video at Georgia State University, and in 2016 she earned a graduate certificate in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from Georgia State University.
Hughes has been the honored recipient of the 2021 and 2022 Distinguished Service Award, and 2018 College Scholar award at Johnson County Community College. In 2018 she was one of the 15 artists selected on a biannual basis for the Kansas City Collection. Other teaching, research, and scholarship awards include: Faculty Development Grants from Georgia Southwestern University in 2014 and 2015, the Gold Award from The Dalton Gallery at Agnes Scott College in 2014, and the Ernest Welch Graduate Photography Scholarship in 2006.
Hughes taught Photography, Digital Arts, and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies as a Senior Lecturer, and was the BFA area coordinator for the Digital Arts and Photography concentrations at Georgia Southwestern State University from 2009 – 2016. In 2016, she accepted a position at Johnson County Community College (JCCC) and is currently an Associate Professor of Photography and Film in the Fine Arts, Photo, and Filmmaking department. Hughes is the founder of the Filmmaking program at JCCC, and was instrumental in the creation of the Associates of Fine Arts (AFA) degree. Her service to the college also includes: Co-chair of Fine Arts, Photo, and Filmmaking Department, Program Director of Photography and Filmmaking, Co-chair of the Academic Branch Council, Chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Taskforce, and Co-chair of the DEI sub-committee in Strategic Planning.
In addition to her creative work, Hughes continues her research in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. As an extension of her teaching, she has been the Director of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Georgia Southwestern State University. Hughes has presented on public discussion panels and at academic conferences on topics relating to the Queer community and human rights such as: Doing the body in the 21st Century at The University of Pittsburg (Pittsburg, Pennsylvania), and The 23rd Annual Research Symposium "Feminist Research Across Disciplines" at The University of Georgia (Athens, Georgia). And her Homogenized photography series and video have been exhibited at Women’s, Sexuality, and Gender Studies conferences in addition to Fine Art galleries.
Hughes was born in Raleigh, North Carolina and grew up in the southeastern region of the United States. She graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree from Columbus State University in 2004. In 2008, she completed her MFA in photography and video at Georgia State University, and in 2016 she earned a graduate certificate in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from Georgia State University.
Hughes has been the honored recipient of the 2021 and 2022 Distinguished Service Award, and 2018 College Scholar award at Johnson County Community College. In 2018 she was one of the 15 artists selected on a biannual basis for the Kansas City Collection. Other teaching, research, and scholarship awards include: Faculty Development Grants from Georgia Southwestern University in 2014 and 2015, the Gold Award from The Dalton Gallery at Agnes Scott College in 2014, and the Ernest Welch Graduate Photography Scholarship in 2006.
Hughes taught Photography, Digital Arts, and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies as a Senior Lecturer, and was the BFA area coordinator for the Digital Arts and Photography concentrations at Georgia Southwestern State University from 2009 – 2016. In 2016, she accepted a position at Johnson County Community College (JCCC) and is currently an Associate Professor of Photography and Film in the Fine Arts, Photo, and Filmmaking department. Hughes is the founder of the Filmmaking program at JCCC, and was instrumental in the creation of the Associates of Fine Arts (AFA) degree. Her service to the college also includes: Co-chair of Fine Arts, Photo, and Filmmaking Department, Program Director of Photography and Filmmaking, Co-chair of the Academic Branch Council, Chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Taskforce, and Co-chair of the DEI sub-committee in Strategic Planning.
In addition to her creative work, Hughes continues her research in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. As an extension of her teaching, she has been the Director of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Georgia Southwestern State University. Hughes has presented on public discussion panels and at academic conferences on topics relating to the Queer community and human rights such as: Doing the body in the 21st Century at The University of Pittsburg (Pittsburg, Pennsylvania), and The 23rd Annual Research Symposium "Feminist Research Across Disciplines" at The University of Georgia (Athens, Georgia). And her Homogenized photography series and video have been exhibited at Women’s, Sexuality, and Gender Studies conferences in addition to Fine Art galleries.