My inspiration to become a Professor grew from my early experiences as a student and as a Teacher’s Assistant at The Art Students League of New York and The National Academy School. It was at those institutions that I saw how my instructor’s teaching affected not only me and my fellow students, but also the instructors themselves. Their teaching and ideas about art not only inspired us, but more than often, acted as a self-realization about their own art-making and teaching processes. To see those moments occur showed me that teaching is a constant evolution. No matter how long you have been doing it, there is always something new to learn and be inspired and challenged by through your students and peers; and that is exciting to me.

I want my students to realize how art is affected by and used to affect the world around us, hopefully giving them a larger sense of purpose as an artist and as a human being, like it has done for me. Also, instilling into my students a deeper understanding of the visual world around us, and to show them that making art is a lifetime commitment that deserves a lot of attention, consideration, and respect.