Billy Ray Sandusky

Arriving at Saint Mary’s, I was quiet and reserved, but spoke through my art. Billy Ray Sandusky intimidated me immediately; serious, dark eyes with ebony beard and ponytail to match. A deep, scratchy voice that seemed less comforting and more frightening. Then he spoke to you about your art. You immediately realized the deep humanness in the words spoken with that scratchy voice. His believed in my finding success beyond Saint Mary’s College, but more importantly he encouraged me to find myself first through my art-making.

He recognized my potential and “loud voice” that I was able to communicate in my artwork despite my otherwise quiet demeanor.  Billy Ray regularly assigned projects that allowed further investigation of my faith and celebrated my mistakes and my losses as much as my successes knowing that there is just as much learning in “what not to do”.  Today, I am a high school Art and Art History teacher. I carry Billy Ray’s advice, critiques and support in my mind and heart daily often catching myself subconsciously asking “what would Billy Ray say?” He knew how to empower artists; very specifically female artists. I’m good at what I do today because of his mentorship and guidance in my own self-discovery through art at Saint Mary’s. Billy Ray Sandusky embodied the spirit, leadership, faith, character and learning celebrated by Saint Mary’s more than any other professor for me. Thank God there was a male professor  who knew exactly how to foster strong, powerful, female artists.