Peragine named Director of the Lamar Dodd School of Art

After a national search and great anticipation, the Lamar Dodd School of Art announced the appointment of Joseph Peragine to the position of director, effective August 1, 2022. Professor Peragine, an accomplished practicing artist, is an alum of the school (BFA, '83), and brings a wealth of experience to this position through his committed work as faculty and director of the Ernest G. Welch School of Art & Design at Georgia State University and through his involvement in the Atlanta arts community. 

Peragine has strong connections to UGA and the State of Georgia, having received his B.F.A. from the Lamar Dodd School of Art and an M.F.A. in drawing and painting from Georgia State University. A highly accomplished practicing artist, his works have appeared in exhibitions and museums around the world, and he has strong ties to the greater Atlanta art community.

"It is an honor to be chosen for this position and I am thrilled to be returning to my alma mater where I have had so many formative experiences," Peragine said. "My goal is to continue to honor the school’s legacy while looking for ways to innovate and address the changing arts landscape. The Dodd School of Art has always been national leader in art education, and I see it is my responsibility to help build on that success. I look forward to learning where the school is now and working with the Dodd School of Art community to set the priorities for next five years."

Peragine’s work has been presented in galleries, contemporary art spaces, and museums throughout the country and internationally. Peragine’s public art installation of red ants in Atlanta’s Hartsfield Jackson International Airport is a favorite of millions of travelers. The scope of Peragine’s multi-disciplinary practice encompasses public art projects and commissions, including exhibitions at Art in General in New York City, Islip Museum of Art, West Islip, NY, Sunken Garden Park, Atlanta, and the permanent installation for the Hartsfield Jackson International Airport, Atlanta, for which he was also awarded an Atlanta Urban Design Commission Award of Excellence for Public Art, as well as being noted one of the best public art projects in 2001 in Art in America.

"This search has been an important one for both the Lamar Dodd School of Art and the University of Georgia and I look forward to working with Professor Peragine," said Alan Dorsey, dean of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. "I am confident he will provide the leadership needed to promote an atmosphere in which creativity, scholarship, and outstanding teaching will continue to flourish. My thanks are extended to Dr. Pete Jutras and the members of the search committee for their thoughtful and excellent work." 

Professor Michael Marshall and Professor Isabelle Wallace served as the interim Directors over the previous two years. Our thanks to both for their extraordinary commitment to UGA and the Lamar Dodd School of Art.

Image: Joseph Peragine