Too Many Truths, Ink & Watercolor, 22" X 15", 2016, Nathan Pietrykowski
What are you currently doing for work (employment)?
I currently teach foundation level art and design classes at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
What is your fondest memory of the Art and Design Department?
This is pretty nerdy, but one of my fondest memories was cataloging the University's art collection as part of the Jim Sanders Fellowship. I got to spend several hours a week by myself with all this amazing work, like prints from Thomas Nast and 1930’s comics strips from the Chicago Tribune.
What was the most important thing you learned in an Art/Design class?
I didn’t know this at the time, but the things I was learning at USI I were things I would be teaching in just few years. Some of the projects that helped develop me as an artist are ones I use in my classroom today.
How are you currently exercising your creativity (artwork, etc.) ?
I like to stay busy and have several different projects in the works. Right now I’m co-organizing a print portfolio exchange and exhibition. My partner and I are collaborating on large scale installation piece. Also, I just wrapped up an art game that ran for two months. I have found that taking on projects with strict deadlines keeps me motivated and active in my studio.
How do you use your personal work in the classroom? Or are these two careers kept separate? Why/Why not?
I showcase print portfolios that I have participated in. They are great tools for teaching because they exhibit a wide range of artists’ work. Besides that, I tend not to bring up my work in class. As a teacher I want to introduce my students to the diversity of the art world and let them find their own interests and aesthetics.