Randy Jolly could be described as an artistic force.

His influences locally have included serving on the board of the Vicksburg Art Association and teaching in the Vicksburg public schools. For many years, he offered a summer art program geared for children and was named Elementary Art Educator of the year.

Jolly’s impact and leadership in Vicksburg still remains, but for the past 10 years, he has been serving as the director of the Gore Gallery at Mississippi College, in Clinton, and was recently named Museum Art Educator of the Year.

“This was exciting and not expected,” Jolly said, after hearing, he had been given the honor.

“It is so nice when your peers, who are all art educators, nominate and vote for you, because when your peers say you are doing a good job, it makes you feel really good,” he said, adding that it was also nice to be recognized for the work that is being done at MC.

“It is our mission at the Gore Gallery to be an educational museum. We plan our program around programs and shows that enhance our exposure for our students at the University as well as the community, and it was really exciting that we were being recognized for that,” Jolly said.

“We at MC owe the tireless Randy Jolly a huge debt of gratitude for his superb leadership of the Gore Galleries. Randy is a talented artist himself and a fine teacher to boot. His guidance has made Gore Galleries exhibitions known far and wide. He richly deserves this prestigious award”, vice president for academic affairs Ron Howard said.

According to a press release from MC, during Jolly’s tenure at the college, he has worked closely with schools and other organizations across Central Mississippi to promote the gallery’s activities and has curated exhibitions by the legendary Sam Gore, booked a Hurricane Katrina photography exhibit and recently brought a Bill Dunlap retrospective show to the gallery.

“We hosted a Bill Dunlap retrospective that was up for three months, which is one of the large Bill Dunlap shows in the state,” Jolly said.

Dunlap is a Mississippi artist, who is nationally known, Jolly said, so to have his work at the gallery helped expose the college’s students and the community to work that has been shown at the Cochran Gallery of Art and National Gallery of Art, both of which are in Washington D. C.

In addition to gallery exhibits, Jolly said the department also offers lectures and brown bag lunch events where artists come in and talk with the students.

“This has added to our program greatly because it is not just the art hanging on the wall, but the artists come in and take part with the students and share with the students,” Jolly said.

Jolly’s latest acquisitions for the Gore Gallery include paintings by award-winning artists Wyatt Waters of Clinton and William Hollingsworth.

“MC houses one of the most aggressive university galleries in the state,” MC Art Department Chairman Randy Miley said, “And this is largely due to the work of Randy Jolly.”

Wayne VanHorn, who is the dean of the MC School of Christian Studies and the Arts, also commended Jolly’s service to the school.

“He excels at what he does because he has a passion for art, and he enjoys showcasing what other artists have accomplished,” VanHorn said.