Faculty Focus: Gene Strickland

Campus News | Monday, March 31, 2025

From a young age, Digital Art, Media, and Design Professor Gene Strickland has been drawn to creative expression. His fascination with photography, drawing, and painting took hold early, winning him numerous art contests from elementary school through high school.

By his freshman year of high school, Strickland’s dedication to art had already set him apart. Strickland spent countless hours refining a detailed pencil drawing of a still-life scene, his art teacher entered the piece into the national Scholastic Art Contest. Strickland’s work won a Hallmark Award, earning a place in a national museum tour. But what left an even greater mark was when Strickland’s father drove him to Washington, D.C., so he could see his drawing hanging in the Smithsonian National Gallery of Art.

"That changed my life," Strickland recalled. "The road trip with my dad, seeing how proud he was of me, and seeing my drawing hanging in a museum — it was huge. I had never been a great student before that, but that recognition flipped a switch. I made honor roll for the first time my sophomore year."

Around the same time, Strickland’s father bought him his first 35mm professional film camera — to support his interest in photography. “I was only 14 and didn’t know how to use a SLR,” Strickland laughed. “So, my dad signed me up for a night photography class at the local community college and drove me there three nights a week since I couldn’t drive yet.” That early exposure to black-and-white photography sparked a lifelong passion for him.

Strickland continued to win awards for both photography and art throughout high school, including Josten’s Yearbook Photographer of the Year and numerous Scholastic “Gold Key” art awards.

By college, he knew exactly what he wanted to pursue. At Appalachian State University (ASU) in North Carolina, he earned a B.A. in Art Marketing & Production and a BFA in Fine Arts (Painting, Digital Imaging, and Sculpture) with a technical minor in Photography. Encouraged by his studio photography professor, Strickland entered the Best of College Photography national competition, finishing third. His work was published in Popular Photography magazine, and he earned a tuition-free certificate from the New York Institute of Photography, which he completed after graduation.

Strickland didn’t initially plan on teaching. But seeing his passion and talent, ASU’s photography coordinator invited him to teach black-and-white photography labs after graduation — an opportunity that would shape his future. “I kind of fell backwards into it, never really thinking of teaching as a career,” he said. “But I absolutely fell in love with teaching.”

After graduating in 1994, Strickland moved to Florida and began teaching as an adjunct at Palm Beach Community College, where he led courses in black-and-white photography, alternative processes, and painting. In 1997, he moved to Ohio, working full-time in a photography studio as an image processor, photographer, and retoucher. But his passion for teaching remained strong, and in 1999, he joined Columbus State Community College (CSCC) as an adjunct instructor, teaching black-and-white photography. By 2003, he moved into a full-time teaching assistant position, deepening his connection to the college and its mission.

Realizing the need to understand more of the business side of photography and art, Strickland earned an MBA from Ohio Dominican University while working full-time. Balancing a full-time job with night classes — and welcoming his first child during that time — wasn’t easy. “It was a sacrifice,” Strickland admitted. “I was gone from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. four days a week.”

By 2006, as digital photography began to reshape the photo industry based in film, Strickland saw the need for Columbus State to be at the forefront of this shift. Drawing on his industry experience with early digital photography, he co-authored a 200-page proposal with the chairperson that led to CSCC’s first accredited Digital Photography Program — and the first of its kind in central Ohio. Strickland was hired as coordinator and first instructor of the program in the Fall of 2007.

"This wasn’t just a photography degree," he explained. "It was about learning the craft and business of digital photography— how to make a living with a camera and creativity." The program emphasizes aesthetic and technical mastery, while also teaching students how to file copyrights, license their work, and manage the business side of being a creative professional — where Strickland’s MBA has been crucial.

"Everything we do today is digital," Strickland said. "Think about shopping online or during Covid — every product you buy, every image you see, someone had to create those photographs. Photography is a real career." According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, photography jobs are expected to grow by 4% year over year the next decade (2023-2033) — which is a little faster than the average for all occupations.

Strickland’s curriculum has continued to evolve, adding digital painting, illustration, and iPad-based courses to keep pace with industry demands. 

In 2016, Strickland returned to school to pursue an MFA in Visual Projects at Columbus College of Art & Design (CCAD), focusing on digital art, photography, and life-sized charcoal drawing. "I always wanted a terminal degree but also wanted to build a bridge for Columbus State students to move directly into CCAD by forging better connections with faculty there," he said. We have had a solid 2+2 articulation with CCAD for Digital Photography and Digital Design & Graphics students/graduates for almost a decade now. Last year, this partnership expanded to include the Video Game Art & Animation degree, which now has its own 2+2 articulation agreement with CCAD, along with several other CSCC programs.

A practicing artist himself, Strickland’s creative work ranges from digital paintings and photography to more traditional forms. His sculpture “Emergence” is a 240-lb marble piece carved from a 500-lb block of Carrera marble, and his charcoal drawing “Homage to Ugolino et ses enfants” reflects his admiration for Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux’s famous sculpture, which Strickland has viewed both as a marble carving at the Modern Museum of Art in New York and the bronze casting at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris. Below that are other drawings and sketches.

Top left, “Emergence” sculpture; Top right, Strickland next to “Somage to Ugolino et ses enfants.” 
Middle left, Figure Study #34; Middle right, Man with pipe.
Bottom, Fish Study #18.

Strickland’s work on his photo program has not gone unnoticed. In 2020, Intelligent.com ranked Columbus State’s Photography Program #4 in the nation, ahead of prestigious institutions like Yale, and one of only two community colleges on the list. In 2021, the program earned #1 in the nation among 43 top photography programs and was also listed among the Top Five Online Photography Programs in the country. It continues to appear on multiple regional and national lists, solidifying its reputation.

As Strickland keeps the program aligned with evolving industry needs, he’s now focusing on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Virtual Reality (VR). "AI is already transforming design and photography," he said. "Some students are afraid AI will replace their future jobs, but I tell them — AI won’t take your job. The person who knows how to use AI will. So, let's learn to use it well. It's just another tool for the creative professional." Strickland has already integrated AI work, lecture content, projects, and workflows into multiple design and photography courses aligning with industry trends.

His knowledge in AI even led to an invitation as a guest lecturer at Paris College of Art (PCA) on AI and Photoshop. That lecture and the connections Strickland made with the Provost and Chairperson of Photography at PCA, were key factors leading to Columbus State’s first international articulation agreement. The partnership creates a 2+2 program, allowing students to earn their A.A.S. in Digital Photography from Columbus State, then transfer to PCA for a BFA.

Closer to home, Strickland has been instrumental in developing new transfer pathways, including 2+2 and 3+1 agreements with Franklin University, enabling Digital Design and Graphics students to earn a Bachelor’s in UX/Graphic Design. "Partnerships like these are life-changing for our students," Strickland said. "They give them opportunities they might not have thought possible."

 

 

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