Gary Wurtz, DMA

Dean, Micky Elliott College of Fine Arts

Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn. – Benjamin Franklin

What drew you to the higher education world?

Although my parents were not afforded the opportunity to go to college immediately after graduating high school, when they spoke of it to their children they always said “when you go to college...” They never said “if you go to college...”, and for that reason I always knew I would go to college. The faculty, environment and colleagues that I encountered as a university student had a profound, life-changing impact on me. Upon joining the university faculty I realized I had a chance to help young people become better versions of themselves, and to help prepare them to be strong contributors to the world. I recognized the importance of that challenge, I embraced it, and I have been greatly rewarded as a result.

What do you enjoy most about your role at SFA?

My entire university career has been spent at SFA, so I have had several different roles. For the first 24 years I was a professor of trumpet and jazz band. I thoroughly enjoyed teaching students who were eager to learn, and I loved watching them grow. Now that I am in administration, I cherish getting to represent the wonderful faculty, staff and students of the Micky Elliott College of Fine Arts to the rest of the university, the community and the world outside of our town. I enjoy advocating for the dedicated, hard-working people who make up this college, because they are so easy to champion. I also enjoy trying to help find the solution to a problem. The adage, “if you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem” has always spoken loudly to me, and it resides at my core.

What do you hope students gain from SFA?

I hope our students gain a broad and diverse knowledge of their disciplines, as well as strength and comfort in dealing with all kinds of people and situations. I hope they become well-rounded scholars, inspiring artists, highly-effective teachers, and good citizens of the world. I also hope they build a lot of meaningful relationships with their fellow students, as well as with the faculty and staff of the university, and that they will maintain and develop those relationships throughout their careers.

What are you passionate about outside of your role at SFA?

I am passionate about family and friends. Whether it’s dinner conversation with my wife and kids, lunch with colleagues, or a round of golf with my buddies, I enjoy being around people, talking about all of the things that come up, telling stories, laughing together, and learning from each other.

Education and Experience