5. James Keller
TK / 1962
From The Structure of Scientific Revolutions
James Keller was born in 1967 in the Dominican Republic and is the youngest of four children. As a child he lived in Sasebo,Japan and Alameda, California, but primarily grew up in Bethesda, Maryland. In 1985, he enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserves, serving as a jet engine mechanic. In 2005 he deployed to al Qa’im, Iraq where he served as an Operations Officer and Fire Support Coordinator. In 2006, James was medically retired from the Marines from a non-combat related injury and became a stay-at-home dad. He started taking art classes at Central Piedmont Community College where he won Second Place in a school art contest for his sculpture Plasket. James got into a Charlotte gallery and his sculpture Smoldering Memories won Best in Show at a local art competition. It was then that he decided to pursue his MFA. LUCAD introduced James to a wonderful cohort of artists and dedicated faculty and staff. The MFA experience helped focus his work and refine the delivery. He graduated in the summer of 2016 and by the fall was back at Central Piedmont Community College, but this time as an adjunct professor. In addition to his MFA James has a BS in Industrial Technology. He is a graduate of the Infantry Officer Course, Small Arms Weapons Instructor Course, Infantry Mortar Leader’s Course, Expeditionary Warfare School, and Weapons and Tactics Instructor’s Course. James currently lives in Indian Trail, NC where he creates art, teaches, raises his teenage son, tends his garden, hikes with his dog, and updates his website.