Professionally, Nicole has worked across multiple departments in museums and galleries, including collections, archives, exhibition design, and art handling. She has contributed to the production and installation of art fairs, gallery shows, and museum exhibitions, gaining hands-on experience in procurement, registrar duties, and liaising with artists, lenders, and institutions.

Her academic research focuses on portraiture and figurative art within the Black American experience, with a particular emphasis on the Civil Rights era and the Black Arts Movement. Nicole’s scholarship examines how artists such as Faith Ringgold, Betye Saar, Joyce Scott, Barkley Hendricks, and Benny Andrews used portraiture as a tool for political expression, identity formation, and historical record. Nicole draws direct connections between this legacy and the work of contemporary artists like Kara Walker, Simone Leigh, and Amy Sherald, whose representations of Black bodies continue to challenge and expand the visual narratives found in mainstream art history.

Through her work, Nicole aims to elevate the visibility of Black artists and foster critical dialogue around representation, embodiment, and cultural memory in art. Her research and practice are committed to reshaping how institutions and audiences engage with Black portraiture — not just as art objects, but as living records of resilience, resistance, and everyday life.