A&E

Jeffery McCullough: showing gratitude

by Rhonda Gleason Breaux

Nothing makes the earth seem so spacious as to have friends at a distance; they make the latitudes and longitudes. — Thoreau

Jeffery McCullough
Photo by Robin May

Lafayette produces some of the most inspired visual art, and the artists are not always from our beloved hometown. In fact, the support and promotion of artists here at home isn’t necessarily “local” either.

Jeffery McCullough comes from a very small town in Georgia. Educated at Georgia Southern University as a designer, he has divided his time among Atlanta, New York City and Lafayette over the last decade. Though he is relocating to NYC, the show isn’t over, as McCullough will continue to call Lafayette his part-time home.

McCullough considers himself an educator and communicator through the work he has done to promote artists. McCullough has been the purveyor of the inception of the narrative between the artist’s work and the public, and he considers this his highest achievement. He remains humbled and grateful for the ability to connect artists to the public. Educating the community runs beneath the impetus of all his work as an artist’s agent. “It’s all about giving to the community… as a curator, I am helping to share the artist’s work.”

The concepts of identity and origin have long been the subject matter for artists. It seems that Southwest Louisiana draws some of the most loyal folks who learn very quickly to identify with the culture here. McCullough is very passionate — and appreciative — for Lafayette’s rich art culture that began his career as an artists’ agent. What Acadiana has been gifted by McCullough is incredibly special, and the work he has done with so many local artists has helped create careers as well as enriched the cultural identity of the community.

Jeffery McCullough has nothing but gratitude as he transitions to the next chapter of his career, which includes furthering his studies with a master’s degree in art history: design and curatorial studies at Parsons School of Design in New York City.

Art by McCullough’s clients can be seen on display through June 25 at The Lounge Gallery, 403 S. Buchanan St., Downtown Lafayette. A private showing can be scheduled by appointment: [email protected].

McCullough wanted to share the following with the Lafayette community:

Huge thanks to these individuals for giving me opportunities to be a part of the art world which led me to go back to school to learn more and delve deeper into the art world at large:

Hope Hebert for being my first design client in Lafayette and for getting me involved with The Big Easel (in River Ranch).

Robert Daigle for hiring me to curate shows and create Gallery at City Club.

Mallory Page for being the guinea pig for my art agenting career, and it worked! And now I serve as agent for six artists.

Sean and Michele Ezell for letting me curate shows for Lounge Gallery and Tsunami

…And MANY amazing and wonderful friends and clients in Louisiana.