Carrie Alter joined NCSSM as an Instructor of Studio Art in 2016. Prior to NCSSM, she was a visiting lecturer in the art department at UNC-Chapel Hill. She has also served as an adjunct professor of art at Meredith College, Elon University, Durham Technical Community College, and the William and Ida Friday Center for Continuing Education. Throughout her almost 20 years of teaching she has also taught classes at the Carrboro Arts Center, the Nasher Museum of Art, and the North Carolina Museum of Art. Furthermore, Carrie spent several summers teaching Area II – Western Philosophy at the Governor’s School of North Carolina.

Carrie grew up in North Miami Beach, Florida. She is a practicing artist with close ties to the Triangle-area arts and music community her husband, Matt McMichaels, is a musician. She is the mother of two boys, and a bass angler who is as passionate about fishing as she is about drawing and painting. In addition to her regular courses, Carrie is our Fine Arts Series Exhibit Curator. She encourages students to get involved with the arts regardless of course enrollment. Carrie believes practicing art builds self-confidence, a less judgmental mind, and a more optimistic attitude while unlocking creative thinking skills that are critical for innovation in every STEM field.