Emeritus Professor
The best teaching I received as a student was from those who allowed me to discover how to learn. I try to encourage students toward that freedom of discovery. It sometimes meant a simple demonstration of hand skills on my part or perhaps an intellectual nudge in a certain direction. The field of Visual Communication is so dynamic with change, it requires that both student and teacher maintain the role of learner at all times.
Emeritus Professor, Eric May completed a Bachelor of Science Degree in Advertising Design at the University of Cincinnati in 1961 and a Master of Fine Arts degree in Printmaking at Indiana University in 1964. He has taught at Murray State University in Kentucky and the University of Iowa at Iowa City. He joined the Kent State faculty in 1971.
May taught a variety of courses within the Division of Visual Communication Design including; Foundation level two and three dimensional design, Drawing and Illustration, Calligraphy and Lettering, Letterpress printing and Typography. He has an on-going interest in the operation of the Type High Press, the imprint used by the letterpress studio to print and publish projects by both faculty and students. In conjunction with his interest in printing and printing history, May is active as an exhibiting wood engraver. His work was recently included in END-GRAIN: Contemporary Wood Engraving in North America, published by the Barbarian Press, Mission, British Columbia. He has been invited to exhibit in Contemporary Wood Engravers at the Davidson Galleries in Seattle.
In addition to his academic year teaching assignments, May taught as a resident faculty in the Kent Blossom Summer Art program, hosting workshops in Letterpress and Book Structures. He also lead workshops at the Nebraska Book Arts Center, The Paper and Book Intensive in Seattle, The University and College Designers Annual Meeting at Kiawah Island, South Carolina and the Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina.