UT School of Art Director, Student Honored by International Sculpture Center

October 11, 2024

The sculpture program at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville—already recognized and respected among national and international art communities—recently came further into the spotlight.

This fall, the International Sculpture Center (ISC) honored School of Art (SOA) Director Christopher McNulty with its prestigious Outstanding Educator Award, which recognizes inspiring, influential artists who have taught at institutions of higher learning for 15 or more years while maintaining their own successful creative practices.

The announcement came just weeks after third-year Master of Fine Arts student Kyle Cottier received an Outstanding Student Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Award from the same organization. Cottier is the fifth UT sculpture student to receive the competitive award in the past 20 years.

“UT Sculpture has a strong record of student achievement supported by faculty who are active in the field,” said Associate Professor Jason Brown, head of the sculpture program. Students in the program—which includes an indoor foundry, outdoor work area, and a large metal shop overseen by a full-time technician—often participate in off-campus sculpture and public art projects, both in Knoxville and beyond.

“Our engagement with organizations such as ISC and Mid-Southern Sculpture Alliance is motivated by our vision to help students gain experience beyond the classroom, and to bridge the gap between academia and the professional world of working artists and sculpture communities at a regional and national level,” said Brown.

The International Sculpture Center, founded in 1960, selects an Outstanding Educator every year from a wide pool of applicants. McNulty received the 2024 award by a unanimous vote.

“Receiving the ISC’s Outstanding Educator Award is an incredible honor and deeply humbling experience for me as both an educator and a sculptor,” he said. “This recognition affirms the importance of integrating artistic practice with pedagogy and highlights how the two can enrich one another.”

McNulty, who joined the SOA as director and a professor of sculpture in 2020, was previously a professor of art and chair of the Department of Art and Art History at Auburn University. His work explores how environmental space penetrates the body, creating relationships among individuals, species, and objects.

“As an educator, my primary goal has always been to develop students’ skill and critical thinking to the point that they feel both confident and empowered to push their boundaries and develop their unique voices,” McNulty continued. “This award reflects not just my efforts but is a testament to all the students that I have had the privilege to teach over the years who challenged and inspired me to constantly improve as an instructor.”

For graduate student Cottier, exhibiting with the International Sculpture Center achieved a long-standing aspiration. Their award-winning artwork is currently being showcased in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as part of the ISC’s exhibition Shaping the Future: National Showcase of Emerging Sculptors.

“The ISC’s Sculpture magazine has profoundly influenced my work, exposing me to many remarkable artists,” said Cottier. “It is an incredible honor to be recognized as an emerging sculptor in the upcoming January/February issue.”

Cottier, who is from Louisville, Kentucky, holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Art Academy of Cincinnati. Their interdisciplinary practice combines traditional basketry and woodworking techniques across sculpture, video, and performance.

“Following in the footsteps of my close friend Abby Hedley, last year’s recipient of this award, makes this moment even more meaningful,” Cottier continued. “I am deeply grateful for the resources and support I’ve received at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, especially from John Powers and Jason Brown, who have been invaluable mentors throughout my time in the graduate sculpture program.”

As for McNulty, he hopes that the recent recognition from the ISC will continue to shed light on the School of Art faculty’s strong commitment to both their own artistic pursuits and the close mentorship of the next generation of artists and educators.

“Our graduate program is unique in that it focuses on both the development of the student’s art practice and their pedagogical growth as an instructor,” he said. “The reputation of the School of Art is based largely on the achievements of our faculty and the success of our students. Their successes become self-reinforcing as they create an appeal for outstanding new faculty and graduate student recruits.”

Both McNulty and Cottier will be featured in the January/February 2025 issue of the internationally distributed Sculpture magazine.