Welcome
Hi, I'm Prof. Bux—an artist, humanities professor, and visual culture researcher based in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
I study the images, stories, and symbols that shape the way we understand ourselves and the world around us. Whether I'm teaching a ceramics class, painting in my studio, or researching advertising and consumer culture, I'm interested in one question:
How do images teach us what to believe?
What I Do
My work sits at the intersection of art, education, and research.
I create original artwork, teach humanities and studio art, and write about visual culture—from mythology and religion to film, advertising, and consumer culture. I believe learning to analyze images is just as important as learning to analyze words.
My Philosophy
Art isn't separate from everyday life.
Every billboard, movie poster, cereal box, museum painting, political campaign, and social media feed tells a story about what matters. My goal is to help people notice those stories—and ask better questions about them.
Studio Practice
Outside the classroom, I'm a practicing artist working primarily in painting, illustration, and ceramics. My studio practice informs my teaching just as much as my teaching informs my artwork.
Making things keeps me grounded in the creative process and reminds me that experimentation is as valuable as expertise.
Teaching
As a humanities professor, I encourage students to see connections across disciplines. Art history, mythology, religion, film, literature, philosophy, and popular culture are all part of the same conversation.
Teaching isn't about memorizing facts. It's about learning how to look carefully, think critically, and stay curious.
Current Research
My current research explores how images shape belief.
Through visual culture, consumerism, advertising, and modern mythology, I investigate the stories we inherit, the identities we construct, and the values we absorb—often without realizing it.