James Southerland

Artist in Residence
Professor Emeritus of Art
Fine and Performing Arts Department Chair
Faculty Fellow

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.