Your Custom Text Here

YOU’RE NOT THE CREATOR OF A PAINTING, YOU ARE THE CREATOR OF THE MOMENT OF BEING A PAINTER.

BIO

Jesse Payne is an Associate Professor of Art at VCUarts Qatar, where he has led the Drawing Curriculum within the Art Foundations Department since 2010. He holds a BFA in Painting/Drawing from Indiana State University and an MFA in Painting from Northern Illinois University.

With over 15 years of teaching experience, Payne has developed a reputation for blending traditional art education with forward-thinking innovations. His courses bridge foundational drawing principles with emerging technologies, fostering creative adaptability in a rapidly evolving design landscape. Recently, Payne secured an IDEA Fund Grant to develop a groundbreaking cross-registration course titled “Artistic Intelligence: The Intersection of AI and Creativity.” This initiative introduces students to generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, MidJourney, and Runway ML and Elevenlabs preparing them to critically and creatively engage with artificial intelligence as part of their artistic practice.

Beyond curriculum development, Payne’s teaching excellence has been recognized with multiple awards, including the Distinguished Achievement in Teaching Excellence Award from VCUarts Qatar (2012) and the Excellence in Teaching Award from Savannah College of Art & Design (2009).

As an artist, Payne’s practice explores themes of cultural identity, spiritual experience, and speculative futures, often incorporating technology-driven methodologies alongside traditional painting and drawing. His work and pedagogy aim to position art as a dynamic force in shaping dialogue between human creativity and machine intelligence.