Jer Nelsen

Bio

Born in Springfield, Illinois, Jer Nelsen is a photographer, artist, idea-person, and problem-solver with an insatiable appetite for learning. Whether he's working with students in the lighting studio or darkrooms, exploring the intersection of art, faith, AI, and quantum mechanics, or helping someone troubleshoot their creative workflow or print their work, Jer finds joy in helping people solve their problems and discover new possibilities.

Jer holds an MFA in Visual Art (Photography) from Lesley University College of Art and Design in Cambridge, Massachusetts and a BS in Photography from Indiana Wesleyan University. His expertise spans both traditional and cutting-edge practices—from palladium/platinum printing and wet plate processes to 3D scanning, modeling, and printing, Gaussian splatting and AI-based generative forms. As a professional photographer since 2006, he's worked with clients ranging from local artisan bakeries to global companies like Johnson & Johnson, bringing real-world commercial experience into the classroom.

His artistic work explores questions of faith, infinity, and the sublime, investigating how art can help us theorize about string theory, quantum mechanics, and the mysteries of the universe. Recent exhibitions include solo shows like At the Edge of All We Know and Ghost Spaces: Junkspace and the Slow Death of the Shopping Mall, which examined the socio-economic transformation of retail spaces.

As an educator and administrator, Jer lives his true-to-life dream job of working with students, where his aim is simple: to teach his students to see—the world, their potential, and the beauty in others and in creation. He resides in Anderson with his family and is always ready to dive into a good creative challenge.