Photo Courtesy of FIA
In June, the Flint Institute of Arts announced it had chosen a new Director of Education – Flint native, art educator and visual artist Matthew Osmon.
Matthew earned a BA (2000) in Visual Art and Theater Design from Columbia College Chicago and an MA (2012) in Educational Technology from The University of Michigan-Flint. He was employed since 2002 at Mott Middle College High School as a visual arts educator specializing in teaching drawing, painting and illustration, digital art, video production and puppet making. In addition, Matthew has taught various combinations of painting, drawing, digital manipulation, portfolio development and theater make-up part time at the FIA Art School since 2007. He has taught screen printing at Flint’s makerspace Factory Two, and is a lecturer in Art Education at The University of Michigan-Flint.
Matthew’s talent has led him to collaboration on design projects with Performance Artist and Creative Producer Tunde Olaniran and with several Flint community organizations including Latin X, Sylvester Broome Empowerment Village, REACH, Shelter of Flint and Friends of the Alley.
Matthew is an active visual artist focused on drawing and watercolor and a proud member of the Flint arts community. He serves as an artist collaborator and board member at Buckham Fine Arts Project and Gallery in Flint.
Matthew currently resides on Flint’s west side with his wife Nikki, daughter Ada and hound dog Albus Dennis Dumbledore. Want to know more about this very busy artist? Read on!
1. WHAT WAS YOUR VERY FIRST JOB?
I worked at Mirage Printed Sportswear, a screen printing company in Flint. I learned all about the screen printing process there. My second and absolute favorite job was Rainbow Video! I just love the culture and community of a good, old fashioned local video store, it’s such a missing piece.
2. WHAT TALENT WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO HAVE?
Probably knowing how to play some sort of musical instrument, I suppose. Or maybe the ability to freestyle. Maybe singing … Probably singing. If I could sing really well, I feel like I might not ever stop! I would sing about everything all the time as I go about the day, and it would sound magnificent.
3. WHAT DOES YOUR TYPICAL WEEKEND LOOK LIKE?
Lawn-mowing, house-cleaning, art-making (or talk of it, at least), friends, mom, dad, sister, sleeping in, staying up late, Flint City Bucks, Soggy Bottom, Thai food, Facetime, WhatsApp and dog stuff.
4. IF YOUR DOG COULD TALK, WHAT DO YOU THINK HE MIGHT SAY ABOUT YOU?
“I think he is confused about our relationship, I know I am. One minute he loves me and the next he can’t stand the sight of me.” ~ Albus Dennis Dumbledore
5. WHAT ARE YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT RIGHT NOW?
Figuring out how to help make the Flint Institute of Arts sing, my daughter’s dancing, the paintings I am going to make this year, the meal I just had at The Unicorn Tavern in Grand Haven, the possibility of David Lynch directing one more film and the upcoming second season of “Interview with the Vampire.”
6. WHAT IS YOUR ALL-TIME FAVORITE WORK PROJECT?
It would probably be the puppet theater company I started through Mott Middle College High School. It was called Fly-Town Puppet Theatre and it was a blast.
7. WHAT CAREER ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO YOUR YOUNGER SELF?
Go to the basement and make art every night – no excuses, even if it seems pointless. Invest more money, read all the things, go to all the things. You are better and more capable than you think.
