Noël earned her B.A. summa cum laude in art history with a minor in Native American studies from UC Davis. Her undergraduate thesis focused on the art and design of a local nineteenth-century picturesque cemetery and the social narrative of its aesthetics. She has worked for numerous art galleries and museum collections and most recently researched and wrote for several exhibits in Sacramento. Her interests include nineteenth-century American and British material culture, issues of cultural appropriation and ownership in the art world, and the rewriting of traditional art historical narratives to embrace the achievements of marginalized groups and individuals.