The Union spoke with art professor Russell McMillin who teaches a Bronze Casting class during the spring semester. He has been teaching sculpture at El Camino College for 16 years.

QUESTION: What got you into sculpture?

MCMILLIN: I’ve always been drawn to sculpture. Sculpture is the art form that most engages with the physical three dimensional world, which is the world we live in. Also my father was a ceramic artist so I was playing and eating clay since before I could walk.

Q: What is your favorite part of teaching the class?

MCMILLIN: The best part is when a student finds their own voice. When their expression of ideas and their skills in a medium work together to demonstrate the creative genius inside of them.

Q: How long have you been teaching?

MCMILLIN: I started teaching in 1992-1993 in a small village called Paso Ancho. It is located in the state of Jalisco, Mexico. Since then, I’ve taught at Cal State Northridge, 1995-2002, West LA College and Ventura College. I was also the education coordinator for Hollywood Production Resources, a non-profit that served the needs of at risk teens for three or four years. In 1999-2001 I was a Getty Service-Learning Scholar. I started at El Camino in the fall of 2002 to present, so basically 16 years of teaching sculpture here.

McMillin feels his job is the perfect choice for him and rewarding to both himself and his students.

“I have the greatest job in the world, at least for me,” McMillin said. “Each day my students and I show up, work really hard, and by the end of the day, we know what we’ve learned, how we’ve succeeded and what challenges we still need to overcome.”

McMillin feels as though his time at El Camino has been his favorite place that his art has taken him.

“Of all the places I worked and the many jobs I’ve had over the last 30 years, this one is by far and away the very best,” McMillin said. “Besides helping people to advance their life experience, and in some cases their futures, I learn something new every day. How many people can say that?”

The Bronze Casting class (Art 283) is offered each spring semester. McMillin will teach Life Sculpture (Art 282) in the fall 2018 semester. The schedule will be from 6:30-9:25 p.m. on Mondays and 6:30-9:40 p.m. on Wednesdays in the Art Building Room 125.