At RMCAD we believe the liberal arts are the essential human context within which all art is made. Artists and designers who understand the essential ideas of civilization will make better decisions and have more to contribute.
Our Liberal Studies Department teaches a full liberal arts curriculum, with instructors who are seasoned educators and professionals -- historians, writers, sociologists, scientists, humanists -- and who are passionate about what they teach.
Faculty members strive to stretch and enrich students' perspectives of themselves and the world, through the study of and engagement in history, literature, the humanities, the social sciences and the physical sciences.
Core Liberal Studies Faculty
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Dan James
Liberal Studies Chair
- MA, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
- BA Southwest Missouri State University
Dan's passion for and study of people and times past spills into the classroom with an enthusiasm and depth that serves to inform the developing artist. As Creative Director and owner of Pursuit Advertising & Design.
His client base includes:
- outdoor industry
- event organizers
- publishers
- real estate
And the collectible industry for whom creates:
- advertising campaigns
- catalogs
- even posters
- marketing materials
- trade show displays
- web sites
- and more
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Agnes Lee
- BA Anthropology, Pomona College
- PhD CU Boulder
Her graduate research focused on Ethiopian sustainable farming systems. Agnes also taught at
- CU Boulder
- CU Denver
- Frontrange Community College
- Kaplan University
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Katie Thorsheim
- MS, Geography/Communication, Southern Oregon University
- BS, Botany and Soils, Colorado State University.
Katie has a long history in the field of natural resource management, working variously as soil scientist, mine permitting and reclamation specialist, hazardous waste trainer, reclamation planner for desert areas, and more. She has taught at Southern Oregon State University, University of Texas and now, at RMCAD, takes the lead in the science curriculum and instruction within the Liberal Studies Department.
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Kiki Gilderhus
- ABD / MA, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- BA, Gustavus Adolphus College
Kiki Gilderhus is an art historian and writer. She specializes in Modern European and Latin American art, focusing on the Mexican themed work of German-born artist Josef Albers. Her essay "Homage to the Pyramid: The Photocollages of Josef Albers" appears in the Josef and Anni Albers exhibition catalog, published by the Reina Sophia Museum, Madrid, Spain.
She has taught at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Kent State University and Colorado State University, and is an art critic for the Rocky Mountain Chronicle.
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Mike Moses
- B.A. English
- M.A English
- ABD PhD American Studies, University of Kansas
Teaching Experience:
- Composition
- Creative Writing
- Family Studies
- Youth Studies
- Subculture
- Pop Culture
- Cultural Politics
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Russel Gabriel
- MA, Art History, University of Colorado at Boulder
- BA, Psychology
Russel has a specialization in nonwestern art history, is working toward his PhD, and is a freelance photographer.
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Tony Pfeiffer
Tony is the son of a science writer who specialized in anthropology. He lived the discipline, participating in his first archeological expedition at age 9. His specialties include:
- human evolution
- primate behavior
- gatherer-hunter studies
- nonverbal communication
- Japanese culture
