Gary Gee knows the importance of following one’s dream. The celebrated Indianapolis-based artist known for his vibrant, community-focused mixed media and ceramic work feels as if he’s living his “childhood dream.” A highly decorated Indianapolis artist and recipient of the Beckmann Emerging Artists Fellowship, Gary began his educational journey at Ivy Tech Community College as a Visual Communication & Fine Arts student.

“For me, Ivy Tech was a community with people who support you,” he said. “It helped prepare me and the classes helped me to be more well-rounded. I was prepared when I transferred to Herron and IUPUI.”

A recipient of Ivy Tech’s Distinguished Alumni Award, Gary originally chose the Indianapolis campus because it was close to home and had grown in notoriety. As a student, Gary felt comfortable and encouraged to learn by his professors, describing his experience as a time of “personal growth and evolution.”

“There are lessons to be learned from your experiences and mistakes,” he said, “…The support of the professors and the community aspect at Ivy Tech helped me make it through.”

Though Gary went on to complete his Bachelors of Fine Arts at the Herron School of Art & Design, he shares with many about his start at Ivy Tech and remains involved with the campus by speaking at new student orientations and visiting with faculty. Gary remains especially close to his friend and mentor, adjunct professor Hector Del Campo. He also credits faculty members Rebecca Bilbery and Stephanie Lewis Robertson as instrumental in his growth, although he says almost all his visual communication and fine arts professors positively impacted him. He considers his experience at Ivy Tech, “life-changing.”

Gary began growing his art career as a student at Ivy Tech, saying he started by regularly attending “Frist Fridays,” a monthly Indianapolis-based art tour. He then began showing his work more frequently around Indianapolis, gaining confidence and notoriety. Gary’s accolades and notoriety have enabled him to show his art in major cities like Philadelphia, San Francisco, and New York City. In the spring, Gary plans to use the Beckmann Fellowship to attend a ceramics conference in California. To see this incredible Ivy Tech graduate’s artwork, visit his website at http://www.artbygarygee.com.

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Ivy Tech Community College is proud to celebrate Gary’s success and achievements with the Distinguished Alumni Award. This annual award honors alumni for their commitment to the College and to their communities. The awardees are leaders in their professions who make significant contributions benefiting their community, state, or college.

The alumni recognized with this award represent the very best of what an Ivy Tech education makes possible. Alumni, faculty, staff, and friends are all encouraged to submit nominations online.