Rate My Professor Joel Dugan

Joel Dugan is Chair of the Department of Architecture, Art & Design and Associate Professor of Art in the Arts and Culture faculty at Fairmont State University. He received his B.F.A. from the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, Michigan, in 2002, and his M.F.A. from the Henry Radford Hope School of Fine Art at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, in 2011. An accomplished visual artist who works primarily as a painter, Dugan has built an active national and international exhibition record of over 122 solo and group exhibitions. Throughout his career, he has completed numerous public art commissions and multiple corporate commissions for institutions such as the Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Detroit Athletic Club, Fort Hays State University, and the State of Michigan. Dugan's artistic practice focuses on cultivating community interest in public art and engaging in community-based projects in the regions he has called home.

In his role at Fairmont State University, Dugan spearheads the art department's outreach initiatives, connecting with high school art teachers statewide to bring students to campus, many of whom enroll in the university's art programs. He builds partnerships with local organizations including Mainstreet Fairmont and Marion County, extending the department's reach into the community. Dugan mentors students through hands-on involvement in large-scale public art projects, offering professional experience while improving community aesthetics and elevating the university's visibility. Prominent examples include the mural at Palatine Park in Fairmont in 2020, the Kelly Miller Community Center mural in Clarksburg in 2023 celebrating local heritage, and the 'The Living Bridge, Rooted in Fairmont' mural at the Falcon Center marking its 20th anniversary in 2025. For these contributions to art education, Dugan received the Higher Education Art Educator of the Year award from the West Virginia Art Educators Association in 2023.