Clarification: The students that nominated Coleen Sterritt, Luis Moreno and Mariah Cool, were former students and not current students.
Long Beach City College professor and sculpture coordinator Coleen Sterritt is the first community college professor to be awarded the Outstanding Educator Award by the International Sculpture Center.
Sterritt has worked for LBCC for over 20 years and has held previous positions at the University of Southern California, California State University of Fullerton, Otis College of Art & Design and The Claremont Graduate University.
The International Sculpture Center established the Outstanding Educator Award in 1996, and until this year, it has been exclusively awarded to university-level educators.
Sterritt has earned several fellowships and awards in her years creating and her work has been showcased in exhibitions all over the world. Locations such as Los Angeles, New York, London, Japan, Kenya, South Africa, New Mexico, and multiple cities in California.
“A big thing that she pushes for… in creative fields in general, is just work,” James Davis said, a former student of Sterritt.
“She was strict on working hard and working constantly, even if you don’t like it.”
Sterritt’s work ethic and style are notable to many people on campus.
Gallery coordinator and art director of LBCC, Trevor Norris expanded on Sterritt’s style of artwork.
“A lot of it is sculpture and it’s pretty rugged but it’s not really outdoor stuff,” said Norris. “She disassembles and reassembles… It’s kind of evocative,” Norris said.
Sterritt was nominated by her former students, Luis Moreno and Mariah Cool for the 2019 Outstanding Educator Award.
Traveling home from Japan, she was surprised when she received a phone call notifying her that she had won the award.
“I was, of course, shocked…” Sterritt said. “But I was absolutely thrilled because teaching has been a very important and meaningful part of my life.”
Sterritt described the best part about being an educator as a privilege and an inspiration.
“For me, working with young artists has continually inspired me and gives me hope for the world. It’s both a privilege and a responsibility to aid in the trajectory of someone’s life, and it’s a very humbling experience,” Sterritt said.
Sterrit gave some words of encouragement to share with young artists, in regards to reaching their goals.
“It takes a lot of dedication and hard work to be an artist, but I would say that what you have to do is try to be in touch with your artistic-self every day, in one way or another,” Sterrit said.
“You have to do your work with honesty and make it resonate with love, and that’s really what success is about.”
A sculpture exhibition and award ceremony will be organized at LAC in Sterritt’s honor, on October 24, featuring work created by her previous students that she has maintained relationships with from up to 20 years.
The award ceremony will be open to students with limited space and the exhibition will be open for students to view from Oct. 24 to Nov. 27, at LAC in the arts department, room K-100.