Jer Nelsen, MFA
Jer Nelsen serves as Associate Dean of the South Carolina School of the Arts and Associate Professor of Art at Anderson University. A people-centered problem-solver, he bridges ideas and execution through collaborative leadership and strategic thinking. His administrative work centers on faculty advocacy and launching new initiatives. His research spans faith, science, art, generative AI, and cartography, and his creative practice is rooted in long-form photographic inquiry.
Education
MFA in Visual Art, Lesley University College of Art and Design, Cambridge, MA BS in Photography, Indiana Wesleyan University (Cum Laude)
Selected Exhibitions
Willing Suspension of Disbelief (Curator), Vandiver Gallery, Anderson, SC 2026
Members, Southeast Center for Photography, Greenville, SC, 2025
At the Edge of All We Know, Vandiver Gallery, Anderson University (solo), 2023
Ghost Spaces: Junkspace and the Slow Death of the Shopping Mall (solo), 2022
Armstrong National 2D Exhibition, Armstrong University (juried), 2017
Boston Young Contemporaries, Stone Gallery, Boston University (juried), 2016
Selected Presentations
AI Can't Dance: Generative AI, Creative Thinking, and the Future of Arts Education, International Council of Fine Arts Deans, 2026
Concerning the Spiritual in AI and Art (Panel Chair), Baylor University, 2026
The Next Normal: Fostering Resiliency and Professional Competence in Foundations, George Mason University, 2025
Gen Learning: Using GenAI to Increase Engagement and Imagination, Charleston Southern University, 2024
On the Playground / From 30,000 Feet, FATE Conference, Denver, CO, 2023
Grant Projects
Digital Bridges: Integration of 3D Acquisition and AI Technologies with Traditional Artmaking and Design, SCICU Excellence in Teaching Award, 2025
AI and Progressive Generative Forms, AU Faculty Summer Research Grant, 2024
Ghost Spaces: Junkspace and the Slow Death of the Shopping Mall, Lilly Grant, 2021
Certifications
Working Genius Certified Consultant
Adobe Certified Instructor (Creative Cloud)
AWS: Fundamentals of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence
Google AI Essentials Specialization
Apple Teacher Certified
Collections
Lunder Arts Center, Cambridge, MA
Anderson Center for the Arts, Anderson, IN
Williams Galleries, Indiana Wesleyan University
Selected Clients
Johnson & Johnson, Chick-fil-A, Tile, Dropbox, United Way, Lilly Foundation, Duke Divinity, TREK Bikes