Scott Thorp is an artist, writer and educator specializing in creativity. As Chair
of Augusta University’s Department of Art and Design, he’s actively working to bring
national recognition to the university through arts and culture, and to build a creative
community within the City of Augusta. He’s a contributing writer and consulting editor
for ArtPulse Magazine, an international magazine covering the state of contemporary
art.
Melissa Thorne
Morris Eminent Scholar in Art
Melissa Thorne makes paintings and site-specific installations that use color and
pattern to evoke a sense of place. She has shown her work in solo and group exhibitions
at numerous venues, including the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, the Museum of
Fine Arts Houston, The Tang Teaching Museum at Skidmore College, Susanne Vielmetter
Los Angeles Projects, Devin Borden Hiram Butler Gallery (Houston), Galerie Rolf Ricke
and Galerie Anke Schmidt (Cologne), Bushel Collective (Delhi, NY), and Hancock Shaker
Village (Pittsfield, MA). She is the recipient of a 2021 Guggenheim Fellowship in
Fine Art, and a 2015 Fellowship in Painting from the New York Foundation for the Arts
(NYFA). She has completed residencies at the Santa Fe Art Institute, the Ucross Foundation
(Wyoming), the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts (Nebraska), and the Core Program
of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Ms. Thorne earned a BFA from Carnegie Mellon
University, and an MFA from the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts). View Portfolio
Matthew Buzzell is an award-winning, Emmy®-nominated filmmaker. He holds a BFA in
Drama from the University of the North Carolina School of the Arts and an MFA in Directing
from the American Film Institute. Matthew's films have screened at festivals the world
over including the AFI Fest, BFI London Film Festival, Slamdance, SXSW, and the Tribeca
Film Festival. His films have been broadcast nationally on PBS and Turner Classic
Movies and distributed internationally on home video and via Netflix. In the Department
of Art and Design, Matthew instructs a variety of courses including Cinematography,
Film Appreciation, and Screenwriting. Matthew also serves as the Director of Augusta
University’s Cinema Series, our on-going screening series dedicated to providing rarefied
filmgoing experiences for students, faculty, staff, and the Augusta community.
Namwon Choi is a recipient of the 2024 The Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia Working
Artist Project award. She has had solo exhibitions at Laney Contemporary and the Moss
Art Center at Virginia Tech. She has exhibited at the Korean Culture Centers in New
York City, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. She has had her work included in the
Aqua art fair and Untitled art fair in Miami, FL. Her work has been reviewed in the
Washington Post, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and Frieze magazine. Ms. Choi earned
a BFA and MFA from Hongik University in Seoul, Korea and an MFA from Georgia State
University in Atlanta. View Portfolio
Cyndy Epps holds an MFA in Studio Art from Georgia Southern University, and a BFA
in Graphic Design from the Savannah College of Art and Design. She exhibits regularly
at regionally and nationally recognized galleries to include the Averitt Center for
Art, Statesboro, GA, The Jones Gallery in Kansas City, MO; and the Dalton Gallery
at Agnes Scott College, Decatur, GA. Recent commissions include Augusta’s Art on the
Wall, Art the Box and It All Flows to the Savannah.
Clarissa Gainey is a Brazilian-American graphic designer and educator. She’s earned
a BFA in Graphic Design from Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro and an MFA from
Georgia State University. Since moving to the U.S. in 2006, she’s done work for Cartoon
Network, Georgia State University and she’s designed the first branding identity for
the Fox Theater Institute in Atlanta. She is the owner of Bright Creative™, where she specializes in branding.
AnnaBrooke Hill Greene is an interdisciplinary artist working in fibers, installation,
and mixed media sculpture that explores themes of gender, memory, and time through
materials sourced from domestic spaces. Greene received her MFA in Studio Art from
Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida and her BFA in 2D Fine Art from Georgia
Southern University in Statesboro, Georgia. She has exhibited regionally and nationally
including exhibitions with Pen + Brush in New York, NY, Sulfur Studios in Savannah,
GA, Artfields in Lake City, SC and the Mint Museum in Charlotte, NC. Greene's work
has been published with Create! Magazine and is in collection at the Zuckerman Museum
of Art with SGC International.
Dr. Taylor Hobson holds an MA in Art History from the University of Georgia and a
PhD in Art History from Bryn Mawr College. His research focuses on moving-image installations
which explore evolving media technologies and their capacities to shape the engagement
between audience and artwork. His scholarship is grounded in the critical study of
film as a medium for exploring issues of perception, identity, and technological change,
as well as the ways in which installation art incorporates and responds to advancements
in media and viewing practices.
Doug Joiner received his Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Augusta College and
his Master of Fine Arts in Directing from Virginia Commonwealth University. Doug has
directed throughout the U.S. as well as in Romania, at the Sibui International Theatre
Festival. As a recent Porter Fleming grant recipient, he collaborated with Mark Swanson
in the stage adaptation of Louise Shivers’ novel Here to Get My Baby Out of Jail, which he also directed. Doug has directed over 40 plays including Every Brilliant Thing , The Amish Project , The Effect , Smokefall , The Bacchae , TRIBES , Julius Caesar , Tartuffe , Amadeus , Keeley and Du , Killer Joe,The Madman and the Nun, The Good Father , and Wit . Doug has also acted in numerous productions. Some of his most memorable roles are
Russ/Dan in Clybourne Park , Dave Moss in Glengarry Glen Ross , Alan Simon in Torch Song Trilogy, Walker in Two Rooms and Katurian in The Pillowman . As a recent transplant into scene design and construction, his credits include
The Amish Project , Smokefall , The Effect , Goblin Market , Medea , and The Little Prince . Doug teaches Theatre at Augusta University.
Katie Kameen is a visual artist specializing in alternative materials, 3D printing,
and wearable sculpture. Katie received her MFA in Metalsmithing and Jewelry Design
from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana and her BFA in 3D studio art from
Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois. She exhibits nationally and internationally
and has been published in American Craft Magazine, Friend of the Artist, and Uppercase
Magazine.
Mandy Le (She/Her) is a 2D animator and designer in the animation industry. She specializes
in visual development, storyboarding, character animation, and effects animation.
She received her Bachelor's of Fine Arts from the University of Georgia and a Master's
in Fine Arts from the Savannah College of Art & Design. From TV shows to video games,
some notable projects Mandy has worked on include: Helluva Boss, Hazbin Hotel, Sushi
Ben VR, Mulligan, Paradise PD, Best Fiends, and Tiny Toons Looniversity. View Portfolio
Swelling up from the mud of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Jacob Lehmann is a multimedia
artist from Clemson, South Carolina. Currently based in Augusta, Georgia, Lehmann
is interested in investigating his own upbringing as a queer person within southern
Appalachia and how the intersections of self, culture, and memory inform who he is
in the present. Lehmann grew up bouncing between the suburban spaces of his parents
home and the rural locale of his grandparents home. Lehmann received his B.F.A in
Visual Art at Clemson University in 2018, and earned his M.F.A. in Studio Art from
the University of Notre Dame in 2024. Lehmann is currently a Lecturer in Foundations
of Art and Design at Augusta University.
Niall Lynch is a Lecturer in Animation with extensive professional experience in the
video game industry. Prior to joining the faculty, Lynch spent five years as a Senior
Character Animator at Hi-Rez Studios, where he worked on major titles including Smite,
Smite 2, and Rogue Company. In this role, he led research and development efforts
for Unreal Engine’s Control Rig on Smite 2, authored internal documentation to support
long-term animation pipeline development, and served as head animator on new character
rigs. His work required close collaboration with gameplay, technical art, and design
teams, particularly in the development of new mechanics and character systems across
multiple projects. Lynch holds an MFA in Animation from the Savannah College of Art
and Design. His teaching emphasizes industry-aligned workflows, technical proficiency,
and conceptual clarity, supporting students as they move to the next level of development
as animators and creative professionals.
Dr. Benjamin Ogrodnik earned his doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh. Broadly
concentrating on forms of working-class visual culture, Ogrodnik’s writing has appeared
in academic journals such as Afterimage, Film History, Contemporaneity and Feminist
Media Histories. His current book project, Sublime Borders, tracks how contemporary
artists visualize the US-Mexico borderlands through conceptualism and craft-based
practices. He has curated art events and film screenings at the Andy Warhol Museum,
LUX, Cain Art Gallery and Silver Eye Center for Photography. At Augusta University,
he teaches courses on aesthetics, art and the environment, the Renaissance, and arts
of the Americas.
Dr. Melanie Kitchens O’Meara is a Professor in the Department of Art and Design at
Augusta University, where she teaches Performance Studies and Theatre courses. She
received her Ph.D. and M.A. in Communication Studies with an emphasis in Performance
Studies from Louisiana State University. She regularly presents her scholarship by
staging performances at conferences, festivals, and workshops. Her research has been
published in Text and Performance Quarterly and Liminalities: A Journal of Performance
Studies. In 2024 Dr. O'Meara was awarded the Leslie Irene Coger Award, by the National
Communication Association. In recognition of her innovated performances, unwavering
commitment to mentorship and dedication to accessible art.
A.B. Osborne is an animation director, 3D artist, and educator whose work spans film,
videogames, and educational media. His animated shorts have been featured in over
30 international film festivals, including HollyShorts to the Palm Springs International
Animation Festival. In 2019 he launched Augusta University’s Animation Program. In
2023 he was awarded Augusta University’s “Individual Teaching Excellence Award.” In
2025, he was awarded the “Augusta Arts Educator Award” from the Greater Augusta Arts
Council. His industry credits include work for Supercell and a Silver Telly Award–winning
Game of Thrones: Legends advertisement. He holds an MFA in Animation from SCAD and
a BA in Broadcasting & Electronic Media from Eastern Kentucky University.
Randy Pace is a professional photographer who has lived and worked in New York City,
Miami and Washington, D.C. He specializes in Fine Art Portraiture, and enjoys capturing
the character of each person he encounters. His latest portraits capture the essence
of the South, highlighting the impact that economic and social norms have had upon
younger generations. View Portfolio
Raoul Pacheco is a Professor of Art in Ceramics. His work has been exhibited throughout
the U.S. in such prestigious galleries such as Mary Pauline Gallery in Augusta, Georgia,
Hang Art Gallery in San Francisco, and Boontling Gallery in Oakland, California. His
work is also currently housed in many collections around the globe in such cities
as St. Petersburg, Russia, Reykjavik, Iceland, Amsterdam, Holland and Los Angeles
and San Francisco. View Portfolio
Brian Rust is a sculptor of large-scaled sculpture and temporary installations as
well as doing extensive work with drawing and collage. Brian was born and raised in
Washington State. He received a bachelor's degree in fine arts from the University
of Washington in Seattle and a master's of fine arts from the University of California
in Berkeley. Professor Rust has exhibition record, including his site-specific sculpture
and installation work in venues throughout the United States including the Henry Lay
Sculpture Park in Louisiana, Missouri. View Portfolio
Chadwick Tolley teaches Printmaking and Drawing at Augusta University in Augusta,
Georgia. He has exhibited widely across the United States and has won various awards
for his work including a Purchase Award in the Atlanta Print Biennial, a Purchase
Prize in the “Ink and Clay” exhibit in Pomona, California, the C.G. Metals Purchase
Prize from the Boston Print Biennial and a Best in Show award from the Oso Bay North
American Printmaking Exhibition. His work is included in several public collections
in the United States and in the Guandong Museum of Art in China and the Jordanian
National Gallery of Art in Amman, Jordan.
Dr. Michael Schwartz earned his doctorate at Columbia University. He teaches a sequence
of transdisciplinary-based academic classes to students in studio art. He is co-founding
executive officer of the Comparative and Continental Philosophy Circle, an international
professional organization with both a peer-reviewed journal and book series. Michael
has curated and commented on over 50 online integral art galleries at Integral Life
as well as published in the areas of art history, art criticism, art education, continental
philosophy, comparative spirituality, critical social theory, integral theory, critical
realism, comparative metatheory – including co-editing and co-authoring the first
professional academic volume on integral as philosophy ( Dancing with Sophia , forthcoming). He is curator of the international art exhibition In the Spirit of Wholeness: Integral Art and its Enchantment Aesthetic .
Janice Whiting’s paintings, drawings and sculptures have been included in exhibitions
at the Boston Institute of Contemporary Arts, the Cleveland Museum of Art, the New
York Historical Society, the Philbrook Museum of Art, the Columbus Museum of Art (Ohio),
the Tennessee State Museum, the San Jose Museum of Art, the Mint Museum in Charlotte,
the Honolulu Academy of Arts, the Hudgens Center for the Arts as well as the Istituto
D’Arte Dooso Dossi in Ferrara, Italy. Her work is included in the collection of the
Morris Museum of Art, the City of Takarazuka Major’s Collection in Japan, is on the
National Episcopal Church’s Café ongoing web exhibition as well as many private collections.
Whiting’s honors and awards include a Baird Gallery Resident Fellowship in Painting , St. John's, Newfoundland and two additional Canadian residencies at The Pine Resident Fellowship in Painting in Trepassey.
Tom Nakashima is an internationally exhibited artist who has had over 30 major solo
exhibitions. He has had solo shows in New York, Washington, and Japan. His work has
appeared or been reviewed in Art in America, Artforum International, Art News, The
Washington Post, The Paris Review, The New Art Examiner, Southern Accents and Elle
Magazine. He has received numerous awards and fellowships including: The Joan Mitchell
Foundation Award for Painters & Sculptors, The Mayor Award for Excellence (DC), The
Awards in the Visual Arts 11, The Southeast Center for Contemporary Art 7, The Virginia
Art Commissions Individual Arts Fellowship, The Mid Atlantic Arts Fellowship (2 times)
and The DC Arts Commission Fellowship (3 times). The KOAN poll (artist vote) rated
him DC’s #1 printmaker and # 2 painter.
