Florida native Jeremy Culler is an adjunct professor of art history within the Department of Visual Arts and New Media.
Photo courtesy of Carl Lam / Staff Writer
CARL LAM
Staff Writer
It’s safe to say a good percentage of campus is used to, or is getting used to, the snow in Western New York. Grab the sweater, scarf, gloves and boots ‘cause it’s going to be a sub zero wind chill day sounds like a pretty standard day. However, some faculty and students that come from the southern and southwestern parts of the United States may still be adjusting to the snow.
Florida native Jeremy Culler is an adjunct professor of art history within the Department of Visual Arts and New Media. He has been on the faculty here since 2011 and has had several tastes of winter during that short time.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in art history and film production from Florida Atlantic University. The inspiration to study art history came from his aspiration to learn more about contemporary art.“I didn’t know much about it and I wanted to know where I would fit in the discussions among contemporary art practice. Then, I took a class and then it blew me away,” he said.
After that class, it was a turning point for Culler’s undergraduate career.
“I realized that it’s much more than a painting on a wall or a sculpture on a pedestal. It’s cultural practice. It’s what makes us who we are. The more classes I took, the more I realized I had found something that really spoke to me.”
Like some college students, Culler took an opportunity after graduation to go somewhere completely different.
“I didn’t intend on going to graduate school right away. I got a job working for the French Minister of Education as an education ambassador. I taught primary and secondary school and travelled a lot,” Culler said.
Having a background in art history enriched Culler’s experience of travelling and living in France but it also left him with a desire to learn even more.
“I went to France and it was a huge eye opener. [I got] to walk in a cathedralor go in a labyrinth and look up to see 150 feet of this massive structure and I wanted to learn more about it,” Culler said. “It wasn’t until I went there when I realized that the world is huge and there’s so much out there to experience.”
Culler spent three years in France and returned for graduate school at the University of Florida-Gainesville for a master’s degree in art history with concentrations in contemporary art and film studies. The education continued as he earned a Ph.D from Binghamton University in the history and theory of art and architecture. He said teaching wasn’t part of the original plan but is glad it worked out that way.
“As I started grad school, I realized that part of what you do during grad school is teach. I had worked in a gallery and done exhibition design but I found similarities between these types of career paths. As I started to teach, I realized that I enjoy it. I enjoy looking at students and engaging them.”
It’s evident that Culler has a true passion for teaching, but he also credits going to France as part of his growth as a professor.
“Going abroad helped me as a person and as a teacher, especially when I started teaching in graduate school and I had a lot of international students. I could relate and I knew what it was like to have to communicate in a different language and how difficult it was,” Culler said. “I knew what it was like to sit there with a dictionary and translate to understand [the material]. I also understood what happens when it clicks and you begin to think in that language and how wonderful of an experience it was for me.”
After growing up in Florida, Culler was ready to see another part of the world and
encourages students to see the world.“I think anybody that has the opportunity to travel and if they have the opportunity to study abroad, they should take advantage of it,” he said. “There’s a variety of different communities in Florida and it somewhat sheltered in some ways. Going abroad made me realize that I was sheltered and there’s so much more to be learned.”
Culler has taught at large research universities and small liberal arts colleges, like ours, and said there’s something special about SUNY Fredonia.
“There are a lot of different and really wonderful things that I find that I really enjoy here. One being that students get face time with their professors and that’s why I teach. I don’t just show up and lecture and then leave,” he said. “I learn from my students here and there are special opportunities at SUNY Fredonia that students may not get elsewhere. I’ve seen it and I’ve taught at different schools; I think students have an advantage here because they have a unique relationship with their professors.”
Junior public relations major Holly Machuga is currently minoring in film studies and credits Culler with teaching her the value of a film.
“He’s very knowledgeable in terms of film. In class, he gives you a firm appreciation for film outside of blockbusters,” Machuga said. “He helped me understand the difference between actual film criticism and saying a film is ‘good.’”
Senior visual arts and new media and journalism major Courtney Gfroerer said Culler taught her a great deal about new media in the course she took last semester.
“Dr. Culler really cares about his students. You can tell by how he carefully picks what content to teach for each lesson,” Gfroerer said “Aside from always making himself available outside of class to work with students if they need extra help, he is extremely educated himself — making him an extremely useful asset to have in the department.”
Culler ended the interview saying something no interviewee has ever said before, and it goes to show the quality of the campus that we love.
“There’s all kinds of opportunities here and I would have liked to have gone here as an undergraduate,” he said.