March 1,2006 — The Clarion
ARTS & LIFE
New art
professor
Lusk hired
by Lange Eve
Staff Writer
Ever since word of Profes
sor Tim Murray’s retirement was
spread throughout the art de
partment, the reactions and atti
tudes were scattered between
uncertainty of what may come
and hope and wishes for the de
partment to stay strong, or
maybe even grow. The idea even
left a few without any faith and
considering to abandon the col
lege altogether. But fortunately,
the faculty and students were
encouraged to voice their opin
ions on the matter by attending
open slide presentations held by
three candidates for the upcom
ing sculpture/ceramics profes
sor
It was a difficult choice that
the school body and board had
to make, but after much consid
eration, Mr Kyle Van Lusk was
hired to head the sculpture de
partment at Brevard. With a
summer to shake off the Murray
blues, the art students returned
with only a small glimpse of what
Mr Lusk might bring to the first
floor of Sims.
Mr Lusk, whom everyone
calls Kyle, has just started his
second semester at Brevard, and
already he is enlivening the de
partment with a fresh vision and
teaching style. Perhaps the tran
sition was smooth, in part, be
cause Kyle was bom and raised
in Brevard, and is actually a
Brevard College alumni of ’92,
with a degree in sculpture.
Brevard was a two year school
at the time, so he finished his
B.F.A and then also his M.F.A at
East Carolina University. He
also comes with seven years of
teaching experience at Appala
chian State University School of
Fine and Applied Arts.
His personal work involves
mostly large-scale, outdoor,
steel sculptures of which he, ac
cording to his artist’s web page:
www.KVLsculpture.com, in-
Professor Kyle Lusk shows Alisha Osborne how to “throw" a bowl in
Ceramics II class
tends to “reflect his mountain
home and his affinity for materi
als.” He has exhibited his work
in art shows all over the state of
North Carolina and in other parts
of the country and has received
several awards. More informa
tion on his work and background
can be found on his web page.
With Kyle’s calm and
hassle-free manner, witty sense
of humor, and broad understand-
ing and appreciation for the
world of sculpture, he has given
his students, (majors and non
majors), plenty of reasons to be
creative. When asked what they
thought of Kyle, his advanced
sculpture students responded
enthusiastically, “He is an amaz
ing professor because he not
only becomes the teacher, but
[also] the friend. He truly loves
this place... [and] spends equal
amounts of time, one-on-one,
with the students, helping them
with ideas and sculpture. All of
us enjoy every minute in class
with him.”
The responses were almost
synonymous in his ceramics II
class as well. “He’s unexpect
edly, extremely humorous!’ ex
claimed Katie Grace
MacEachem. “Kyle’s the man,
the myth, and the legend,” said
Vince Myers, a sculpture major
“Anytime you have a problem
or question about anything,” he
continued, “he can answer it.
photo by Lange Ev»
Kristin Veeneman, a non-art ma
jor in ceramics admitted, “He
makes me want to come to class
because it’s fun. When 1 don’t
come, I feel terrible.”
And fortunately, Kyle
seems to enjoy his time and ex
perience here as well. “1 enjoy
the synergy in the studio, he
explains. “I get excited by see
ing students discover things...
it [in turn] helps energize me.”
He says he has “been happy with
the students’ motivation, re
sponses, and interest in sculp
ture,” here at Brevard, “and the
faculty is very supportive.”
Kyle is always eager to take
students outside of Brevard to
see and experience hints of the
grander art world. So far he and
his advanced sculpture class
have participated in two differ
ent iron pours, one at Appala
chian State and another at East
Carolina University. The stu
dents come prepared with wax
molds that they have con
structed in the classroom and
transform them into heavy iron
works. Kyle is planning to at
tend another iron pour at Blue
Ridge Community College, and
also to hold one here at Brevard
before the semester is over His
classes have also ventured to Tn
State, an annual sculptor’s guild
conference, and outdoor exhibi
tion held at Appalachian State
and to Lenoir, NC for an outdoor
photo by Langa Eva
Kyle Van Lusk shows Alisha Osborn
how to “throw" a bowl In Ceramics II
class.
exhibition. Every now and then
he will offer a trip to Asheville to
look at galleries, such as the Blue
Spiral, which is open for anyone
who wants to come.
The art department was in
need of an energetic change, and
that is exactly what they got.
Kyle lives and breathes sculp
ture and is dangerously conta
gious in the classroom. He is
nearly always teaching or work
ing outside of class and helping
students. He has helped direct
their attitudes to a mature level
of creativity, and steers every
one to respect the studio space
by keeping it clean and orga
nized.