GREENVILLE, S.C. (August 24, 2016) – Amanda West will join the faculty of Bob Jones University as an assistant professor of Studio Art in the School of Fine Arts and Communication this fall. West previously served as an assistant teacher and substitute teacher at First Baptist Church of Alexandria, Virginia, preschool ministry.
“Amanda West’s artistic and pedagogical expertise will greatly benefit the students in the Division of Art and Design,” says Dr. Darren Lawson, dean of the School of Fine Arts and Communication. “She has a strong academic background and a superb portfolio of work. We are honored to have her joining the faculty.”
West earned a BFA in Drawing and Painting (2009) from East Carolina University and a MFA in Studio Art with a concentration in Drawing (2011) from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. West’s areas of specialization include drawing, painting, and monotype.
West is the creator, designer and owner of Thwacked!, a hand-made hammered jewelry company she opened in 2013. She also served as program assistant and art instructor at Pocosin Arts in Columbia, art camp teacher for The Art League in Alexandria, and as teacher and designer of an art workshop at Bridging the Gap Youth Camp in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
At the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, West served as a teacher of record and a teaching assistant for the Fundamentals of Drawing course as well as a graduate assistant in the art office, for the Art Education program, and for a variety of art courses.
West has received several honors and scholarships. From the University of North Carolina, she was given the Thrush Scholarship and accompanying Graduate Assistantship and out-of-state tuition waiver as well as the Adelaide Fortune Holderness Graduate Fellowship and accompanying Graduate Assistantship and out-of-state tuition waiver. She also received the Art Enthusiasts scholarship from East Carolina University and was named the Artist-in-Residence at Pocosin Arts.
West has participated in numerous exhibitions, both solo and two-person shows, in venues such as the Art League in Alexandria, the Durham Arts Guild in North Carolina, the Greenville Museum of Art, Emerge Gallery in Greenville, Christina Ray Gallery in New York, the Schuler School of Fine Arts in Baltimore, Maryland, the Weatherspoon Art Museum in Greensboro, and many others.
West has also done a number of private commissions for clients throughout the United States and internationally. Her professional affiliations include The Art League in Alexandria, the Dare County Arts Council in North Carolina, East Carolina University’s Painting Guild, and the Golden Key International Honor Society, for which she previously served as vice president and director of membership.
