The College of North Ga (UNG) assisted Paul Dunlap’s dream of an artwork profession occur accurate. He’s been paying out it forward for just about two many years as a college member in UNG’s visible arts section.

Even though he had wanted to be an artist from his center faculty days, Dunlap to begin with began a job in health and fitness treatment since he was not sure if he could make a residing by adhering to his enthusiasm. It did not just take prolonged for a basic thought to percolate: “Somebody’s creating cash in artwork. Why can not it be me?”

A bachelor’s degree in studio art at UNG jumpstarted that procedure. Just 10 times after earning a Grasp of Good Arts in photography from the College of Ga, Dunlap was back again on UNG’s Dahlonega Campus as an adjunct school member.

“I realized I required to educate right here. There was nowhere else,” Dunlap, a professor of visual arts, claimed. “I required to give back again and make it much better, have the torch.”

Dunlap has lived out that mantra, as the department has developed from 60-70 pupils when he was in classes to nicely about 500 learners now. The a few full-time faculty from his times as a pupil transformed his daily life, and the department now features 25 complete-time college.

He also played an integral purpose in raising the profile of the department, serving as the guide for its application for National Association of Educational facilities of Art & Design (NASAD) accreditation, which it initially gained in 2015. Dunlap credited UNG President Bonita Jacobs and College of Arts & Letters Dean Christopher Jespersen for quadrupling the department’s college and supplying the assets desired to make the NASAD recognition.

“We’re escalating for the reason that of NASAD accreditation,” Dunlap stated.

Dunlap is also grateful for the Gainesville Campus enlargement, which will present supplemental large-excellent area for artwork college students.

Dunlap’s main places of desire in training are blended media, hand-coloring images, and 19th century images. His learners “seem to be to love it.” The 2019 winner of the Alumni Affiliation Distinguished Professor award is grateful to make an affect encouraging college students towards art occupations more than two decades following he was in their sneakers.

“You’ve got received to want it terribly,” Dunlap reported. “You can do it, and I’m residing evidence of that.”