Art Alum and Former Faculty Member Receives Tenure Track at Tulane

Division of Art alum, Meadows 2050 Council member and former assistant professor Jer’Lisa Devezin has been appointed to a tenure track position in Tulane University’s prestigious Newcomb Art Department, where she will teach Sculpture I and Sculpture II. This impressive accomplishment is underlined by the fact that Devezin was born and raised in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans, LA, the home of Tulane University, and will be returning to her hometown to continue her career as an educator.

Devezin, who received her M.F.A. from Meadows’ Division of Art in 2019 and a B.A. from Dillard University in 2014, specializes in sculpture and her work is heavily influenced by her upbringing in New Orleans. It engages research centering on identity, sexuality, New Orleans bounce culture and vernacular, and socioeconomics, while integrating ceramic and sculptural processes such as welded steel, woven forms, cast slip, plaster and metal.

During her time as a faculty member at Meadows, she taught undergraduate and graduate course to art students, sharing her knowledge of her specialization in sculpture. She also exhibited her work locally at the Nasher Sculpture Center, Talley Dunn Gallery, 500X Gallery and SMU’s Pollock Gallery while in Dallas.

In addition to her previous role within the art faculty, Devezin is also a dedicated member of the Meadows 2050 Council, an alumni advisory helping to shape the future of the school. Through her work with the Council, she has weighed in on initiatives for Meadows’ future vision, strategic planning, and decision-making related to alumni engagement and career development opportunities, and plans to continue her work with the Council from New Orleans.

Congratulations on your new position, Jer’Lisa, and pony up!