Lane Last, a professor of art at the University of Tennessee at Martin, was named the Featured Faculty Scholar for fall 2012 during a recent ceremony.
Each semester, UT Martin recognizes outstanding faculty for excellence in teaching and scholarship.
“It isn’t often that we get to honor artists,” Dr. Lynn Alexander, dean of the College of Humanities and Fine Arts, said during the award presentation. “Just in the last three years Lane has participated in exhibits or shows or meetings in 12 countries, and this is the kind of international reputation he’s been able to build and it’s so exciting to have someone like this at UTM.”
“Lane does everything that I ask of a faculty member well and that’s worth a lot to me,” added Doug Cook, chair of the Department of Visual and Theatre Arts.
Addressing the audience, Last thanked his family and friends for their support and Cook for his friendship and being a good boss. Lane also thanked his mentor in graduate school, George Cramer, for his guidance.
“He (Cramer) gave me the advice, ‘Get to a public university so you can have the freedom to find out who you are’” Last said.
Last grew up in Freeport, Ill., and earned a master of fine arts degree and bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with primary concentrations in painting, digital art, video and new media. He also attended Southern Illinois University and Los Angeles Valley College.
He joined the faculty at UT Martin in 1999 as an assistant professor. He was promoted to associate professor in 2005 and to professor in 2010. He previously taught at Mt. Senario College in Ladysmith, Wis., as an assistant professor and Highland Community College in Freeport, Ill., as an instructor.
Last is a member of many professional societies and organizations, including the Arts Co-Op in Martin, Nashville’s Tennesseans for the Arts and Art and Science Collaborations Inc. of New York. His artwork can be found in public and private collections across the U.S., Korea, Italy and Japan.
A sample of his work is now on display in the Paul Meek Library on the UT Martin campus.