See how Cynthia Epps shares her passion for painting in a unique way
By Liesa Armstrong | Contributor
The electrical box at Walton Way and Milledge Road in Augusta is something very special to a loved professor here at Augusta University, Cynthia Epps. She decided to paint this box and from that came a ton of people left impacted and hopefully inspired.
“There’s a bus stop right at that corner where the box is. I’ve had people in fancy sports cars tell me they loved my work, and I’ve had people without a home tell me the same,” Epps said. “There’s a home right behind this electrical box lived in by an 80-year-old woman. I had the chance to have a conversation with her, and she told me she loved seeing my artwork on the box every day! It’s just so cool to me how many people that little project impacted and all the positive feedback and love I received from it.”
Epps has been an art professor since 2009 and has been at AU since 2018. She has taught many different courses here – The Marvel of Art, Drawing 1, 2, 3 and 4, Painting 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 and Two-dimensional Design.
“I grew up painting. It all started when I was in the second grade. Every Saturday morning, I would attend oil painting classes, which I really enjoyed,” said Epps. “I took different art classes throughout the rest of my schooling. I started out at SCAD (The Savannah College of Art and Design) and ended up with a bachelor’s degree in graphic design.”
Although Epps is an artist, she does not think of art as just a career, she thinks of it as a lifestyle.
“Art is my passion because I love the challenge of helping people to be able to see space differently and communicate my ideas on a flat surface while making it look dimensional,” she said. “Helping people learn things they didn’t know before is one of my favorite things. I also do a lot of public art, and it’s very cool to be able to make someone’s day brighter and change their world.”
Once Epps decided to pursue teaching, she went back to school to get her Master of Fine Arts so that she could teach at the college level. She has now been a college professor for 13 years and has no regrets with the path she decided to take.
“Do it! Just do it. Pursue art. Practice and explore different ways of doing things. Don’t limit yourself. Explore different mediums,” said Epps. “The most important thing about being a teacher to me is the impact I can make on students and being able to have any kind of part in helping other people pursue their dreams.”
Contact Liesa Armstrong at liarmstrong@augusta.edu.
Epps encourages others to pursue art in their own way. She continues to make her mark in Augusta with a passion for creativity and teaching art. (photos from Cynthia Epps)
