Teaching during COVID has been tough. There are the obvious technology and remote education issues but on top of that professors are still expected to perform their research. The research requirements of academia is something lost on much of the general public. I’ve had many discussions with people who seemed genuinely surprised when I mention that I’m speaking at a conference or that I have work that I’m exhibiting. For the most part the general public seems to think that all professors, do is teach.
At the University of Southern Mississippi research is paramount. As an R1 or “Very High Research Activity” classification from the Carnegie Classifications of Higher Education, Southern Miss has reached the top. This is achieved and maintained through high research standards. For much of the university this means “publish or perish” but for the visual arts this usually means exhibit or perish.
Requirements have eased due to COVID, but that hasn’t stopped me from wanting to still achieve the same goals. Generally speaking there are significant benchmarks that are required for research along with copious other smaller ones, and then there are the benchmarks I have set for myself that extend well beyond the requirements. One such benchmark I have set is to achieve 2 national level exhibitions or conference presentations each year. I had expected to fall short of this goal this year due to COVID, but I’m happy to report that with the exhibition acceptance I received yesterday I met my personal benchmark for the year. *note: I have hit this personal benchmark or done greater every year at Southern Miss*
Below is an image that was accepted and exhibited in the exhibition entitle 2021? held at the ShockBoxx Gallery in Hermosa Beach, California back in October, 2020. It was my first exhibition on the west coast and I’m hoping to exhibit more out there.
The next pieces were recently accepted into the exhibition entitled Turmoil to Transformation which will be held at the Hera Gallery in Wakefield, Connecticut in May 2021. The Hera Gallery has an amazing history in the art world, especially with the role it played in the feminist art movement. This exhibition marks the first time I’ve had two pieces accepted into the same exhibition, my first exhibition in New England, and the first time a piece from my Lost series has been exhibited.
