Gabriel Phipps, a visiting professor just finished his final semester at IU.
Phipps is a Boston-born artist, curator and art educator. He received a BFA in Painting from Massachusetts College of Art in 1997 and an MFA from Boston University in 2000. He currently maintains a studio in New York City as well as one here in Bloomington and is represented by the Howard Scott Gallery.
Before coming to Bloomington, Phipps lived in Brooklyn for 12 years working to establish himself as both an artist and an educator. He said it was a big change when he, his wife and his son came to Bloomington. They have been here for three years while Phipps worked at the University.
During his time here, Phipps taught general painting courses, lead the painting BFA program for one semester and acted as the co-director of the painting MFA program for two semesters.
“It’s been a far more intensive experience than any other teaching position I’ve had,” he said. “I was given a lot more responsibility.”
He also curated three shows in New York City for the graduate painting students.
“I felt it was really important for me to share what I knew about New York and some of my connections with people there,” Phipps said.
He said helping his students put on these exhibitions was an incredibly rewarding experience. Phipps said watching the students work together to propose a show, pitch it to a gallery, figure out how to get their work to New York and then coordinate the installation and deinstallation of their pieces was a highlight of his teaching experience here.
“Seeing it come together and hanging in New York and seeing the excitement it engendered was really beautiful,” Phipps said. “It stands apart from what I’ve done in New York and Massachusetts.”
Phipps said he was pleasantly surprised with the students he worked with at IU and their knowledge of the art world outside of the Midwest. He said his classes here were particularly open to new ideas and had a willingness to try all manner of things. Phipps said these attitudes complimented his preferred teaching style.
“Often what I ask of my students is to try new things and things unfamiliar to them that are foreign and uncomfortable,” he said.
Phipps also revealed the students continuously reinvigorated his own studio practice.
“If I see a student making something really exciting with a certain degree of passion, that compels me to go back to my studio and work even harder,” he said.
As far as what he plans to do next, Phipps said that there are currently a lot of irons in the fire. He said he has enjoyed his time in Bloomington and is open to staying here longer but also sees potential benefits in returning to the city.
Overall, Phipps had positive things to say about his experience as a visiting professor.
“As an artist and as an art student, it is hard to know when you are at your best, but I feel pretty good about my paintings these past couple of years,” he said. “I walk into the studio excited, and that is a good sign.”
