Born at a young age, Geoff spent his early years in Wilmington, North Carolina. He attended Enloe High School in Raleigh (a nationally ranked arts and academic magnet). He received his BA in Fine Art from Davidson College and his Master’s Degree from the College of Design at North Carolina State University. He has taught at UNC Charlotte, Central Piedmont Community College, and Queens University, Charlotte. Today, Geoff lives in the North Carolina mountains.

Geoff studied art history in France, medieval architecture in Britain, and won a Dean Rusk Grant to attend Cambridge University. He studied animation under the creator of Tom and Jerry (Gene Dietch) at Barrandov Studios in Prague and was the resident photographer for the Davidson College Archeology Field School in Cyprus and for the UNC Charlotte Archeological Dig in Jerusalem.

Geoff’s animation As You Will won honorable mention at the Atlanta Film Festival. His animation As We Sleep premiered at TED Talk Charlotte. His work was featured in the music video Monkey Girl for the Barcelona band The Modern Poppers. His animation The Spring Peeper, was commissioned for the PBS Learner website and WGBH/Boston. His sculpture Young/Adult and painting Untitled 13 are a part of the Davidson College permanent collection. His work is in private collections in North America and Europe.

Randomly, Geoff has won a chili cook-off at the Brooklyn Culinary Institute (extra garlic), hitchhiked across Scotland (rail strike), befriended all other Geoff Loves on Meta/Facebook (all seem lovely), and had lunch with Timothy Leary (chicken sandwich). He volunteered at a hospital in Haiti (Léogâne), co-authored the Central North Carolina chapter for Fodor’s Travel Guides (beaucoup barbecue), and volunteered for the North Carolina Special Olympics Summer Games (Greenville) and for the Special Olympics World Games (Raleigh, North Carolina).

Geoff has a younger brother with special needs. He understands the steep challenges faced by those with special needs and their families. Geoff created a small business in 2014 (unofficially known as the Love-Bright Foundation) which has now generated over one million dollars in aid for families with special needs individuals.

Geoff was often misunderstood and even derided by teachers and authority figures throughout his early life (particularly as an undergraduate). He was criticized for being a “free spirit” and for being unwilling to conform. Geoff knows everyone has a right to cultivate the most altruistic version of themselves. He celebrates the uniqueness of others and he encourages the direct disobedience (and ridicule where deserved) of anyone who would restrict the selfhood of another or their right to seek happiness.

His message to others: be yourself, you are a gift!