In addition to teaching at MICA, Rhea is also an adjunct professor of African American art history at Fisk University (Nashville, TN) and Trinity Washington (Washington, DC). She is the Founding Director of Black Artist Research Space (BARS), a hub for creativity, scholarship, and imagination located in Baltimore, MD. Rhea received her BA in Art from Fisk University and her MFA in Curatorial Practice from Maryland Institute College of Art. She is a classically trained pianist and vocalist who sings in four languages, and was a member of the Grammy Award-winning Fisk Jubilee Singers from 2009–2013.