AS UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS ART DEPARTMENT CHAIR

When Lucas Charles first picked up a calligraphy pen in an art class at Jefferson County High School, an hour bus ride from his home in Strawberry Plains, Tennessee, he couldn't have imagined it would pave the way for him to become the head of the University of Memphis Department of Art.

Reflecting on the experience, Charles says it was in that calligraphy class that his passion for art truly began to blossom.

Though the journey was not without its twists and turns, Charles always had a plan to continuously reinvent himself every decade.

He’s stayed true to his goal, first by earning a bachelor's degree in graphic design from the University of Tennessee in the mid-90s.

But after only two years in the business, his alma mater came calling again.

“The University of Tennessee called me a few years after I graduated and asked if I would teach full-time for them without a master’s degree,” said Charles. “Ultimately that day I said yes and then I hung up the phone and realized I have to quit my job. So, I went in and quit the job that day and started teaching the next day.”

However, after two years, he came to the decision that he needed to take a step back and pursue a master's degree for a career in higher ed later down the road.

“Up to that point I had never envisioned myself teaching, and really didn’t have an interest in it,” said Charles. “However, I did not realize that I had a dedicated interest in it. So, after those two years, I did decide to go to graduate school and I did earn my master’s in graphic design from North Carolina State University College of Design. At that time, they were the only program in the country that offered a master’s in graphic design that wasn’t an MFA.”

After graduating from NC State he began to apply for teaching positions and landed a job at a university he’d never heard of before.

“I honestly at that time did not know that the University of Memphis existed,” said Charles. “I did not know they had a graphic design program until I saw the advertisement.”

In the beginning, most of his classes were interactive, focusing on website design and development. In his off time, he did freelance website work for companies like Onyx Medical, SouthernSun Asset Management, Hilton Worldwide and the HGTV network’s digital publications, as well as the Stax Museum and the National Civil Rights Museum.

But his 10-year alarm clock was about to go off again.

“I consider myself a generalist,” said Charles. “I say that I reinvent myself every 10 years because the second 10 years after teaching at Memphis, I became very heavily involved in our introduction classes. I really went into identity parts more than I had in the past – creating logos and brands in that area. Also, [I have] a very heavy interest in typography. And that’s where my professional development assignment focus was, developing a typeface.”

Now, 10 years later, and after 20 years teaching in the Department of Art, Charles sees himself as an administrator.

“I think my dedication to the department, to students, to the faculty, has pushed me in that direction,” said Charles.

Jillian Corley is a senior in the Department of Art and has taken note of his dedication.

“Since Lucas has become chair, I have noticed that students' concerns are being met with respect and are dealt with in a timely manner,” she said.

Senior Guy Hendree agrees. “[Charles] has met the challenge of becoming Art Department Chair head-on as we as a nation emerge from a pandemic,” he said. “As a student, I not only enjoy his leadership, but I see how my classmates have positively responded to his ability to bring out the best in all of us.”