James Southerland

Professor of art and chair of the Communication and the arts department, Jim Southerland has served Montreat College since 1987 and is a leading member of various professional community arts organizations. He is a 2010 recipient of the Crawford Faculty Scholarship.

Professor Jim Southerland teaches courses in drawing, painting, and sculpture from idea-to-process-to-product concepts based on observation, interpretation, and creation. Professor Southerland has a B.F.A. from East Carolina University and an M.F.A. from Penn State University. His background as printmaker, potter, and painter informs his instruction—he has over 40 years of experience working as a studio artist. He is especially intrigued by the history of optics, primarily the camera obscura, as a means of understanding the visual world. He integrates that history into survey of art classes and photojournalism.