Kristofer Neely Joins SMC Faculty as Professor of Art

Kristofer M. Neely, a visual artist and creative writer, has been appointed to the Spartanburg Methodist College faculty as Professor of Art. Neely is also the owner and creative director of Wet Paint Syndrome, an art gallery and studio located in Spartanburg.

Best known for the angel paintings he calls “Guardians,” Neely is a painter who uses traditional surfaces, wood and other found objects. He has exhibited his works widely in South Carolina and the southeastern United States, and has participated in showings in New York, New Mexico and Canada. His art, creative writing and poetry have been featured in books, journals and publications, including The Underground Guide to Spartanburg by Joe Mullinax (2012), Artists Among Us: 100 Faces of Art in Spartanburg, by Edward Emory and Stephen Stinson (2011); The Minutia of Visionaries: Experiments toward Social Evolution, by Erica Eaton and Tara Smelt (2010); and Still Home: The Essential Poetry of Spartanburg (2008).

From 2011-2016, Neely served as a dean, assistant professor and coordinator for studio art at Wofford College, where he played a key role in growing the college’s studio art minor. From 2005-2011, he worked to enhance the student experience at the college through his positions as executive director of the Success Initiative, director of project development for student affairs and director of residence life. During this time, Neely developed a number of innovative programs that have become models for other colleges.

A brother in the Monastic Order of St. Edward the Confessor since 2011, Neely is actively involved in the Episcopal Church. He volunteers as chaplain for the Boy Scouts of America – Palmetto Council Troop #11 and has served on the development committee of St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church. He is also a member of the Northside Development Corporation’s neighborhood committee and is a past board member of Piedmont Care, Inc., and the Artists’ Guild of Spartanburg.

Neely received a master of fine arts from Goddard College in 2009 and a bachelor’s degree in religion from Wofford College in 2002.