TCC’s Diverse Faculty Fellow for Art

Paul Acevedo Gomez is one of two new Diverse Faculty Fellows who started working at TCC this Fall. He is a Drawing and Printmaking instructor within the School of Visual & Performing Arts, located in the Thomas K. McKeon Center for Creativity at Metro Campus.  

Originally from Guadalajara Jalisco, Mexico, Acevedo Gomez has been residing in the United States for more than 18 years. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from California State University, Stanislaus, in 2018, followed by a Master of Fine Arts from Louisiana State University in 2022. Before joining TCC, he had one year of teaching experience at various colleges. However, his background includes extensive exhibition participation in galleries across the U.S. and internationally.

“My art practice is profoundly influenced by my dual citizenship, heritage, culture, and elements of pop culture,” says Acevedo Gomez, whose artistic work encompasses large-scale drawings, paper weavings, and handmade paper sculptures.

As a Visual Arts Instructor, his primary objective is to inspire his students by assisting them in cultivating a robust art practice and enhancing their critical thinking abilities. “At the start of each semester, I typically share my art portfolio with my students to offer insight into my background and artistic journey. My aspiration is that this exposure will ignite their own creativity and instill the confidence to pursue careers in the arts after graduating from TCC.”

The TCC Diverse Faculty Fellow Program, which is a two-year commitment and is funded by an anonymous donor, holds great significance for Acevedo Gomez. “In this current semester alone, I've had the privilege to collaborate with exceptional staff and faculty members in further enhancing our already diverse college community. I've been entrusted with the responsibility of defining the significance of this role within my department, and I aspire to share my research and experience with other departments at TCC. This program has allowed me to discover my own potential as an engaged member of both the Tulsa and TCC communities. With my help, I foresee the Diverse Faculty Fellow Program playing an important role in creating additional opportunities for both students and faculty.”  

He continues, “There is still substantial work ahead of us in enhancing our college community. My aim is to discover fresh approaches for promoting academic success, facilitating students' sense of belonging and connection within the TCC community, and promote additional opportunities within the Tulsa community that can enrich their educational and professional journey.”

Why is this program essential to TCC?  

Kelly Clark, Dean of the School of Visual & Performing Arts, says, “This program is designed to embody our value ‘You Belong Here’. It gives TCC the chance to bring in a faculty who have a culturally varied background but less full-time teaching experience. They belong here. They make our institution better while gaining experience and building their knowledge and understanding of a community college.”  

Clark adds, “This program should also give TCC more insight into recruiting and retaining faculty with diverse backgrounds, ideas, and experiences, which is vital to the success of our students, faculty, and institution. We hope students begin to see diversity that includes their background and experience and know they also belong here.”