"Art Talks" is an interview series I produce that features my conversations with talented individuals from the art world whose experiences provide valuable insight for student artists and aspiring art industry professionals.

• Matt Forehand | Painter and Printmaker (Summer 2022)
• Loni Johnson | Artist and Social Justice Advocate (Winter 2021)

[00:00] Intro

[00:18] What is the value and importance of art from the perspective of the artist creating the work as well as that of the viewer seeing the art?

[01:24] What was your earliest memory of discovering your artistic talents and considering art as a possible career choice?

[02:47] Did you study art in high school and/or college, and how did your studies prepare you for a career in art?

[04:11] What is your memory of your first art exhibit and how did this experience make you feel about your art career pursuits?

[05:26] As an artist, what inspires your works?

[07:09] How would you describe the artistic style of your works?

[08:18] Why did you decide to pursue teaching art and what do you find fulfilling about helping your students develop their talents?

[10:01] What makes the Oolite Teen Artist Summer Residency unique and what do the students gain from the experience?

[11:25] What advice would you give to aspiring student artists?

[12:30] How would you advise new artists best structure their activities and actions in order to successfully achieve their goal of pursuing art as a full-time career?

[13:49] Production Credits

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Matt Forehand is a very creative artist whose talents extend way beyond the paint palette and directly into the classroom. He has as much passion for creating works of art that are inspired by his Columbian and South Florida roots as he does for nurturing young artists.

I met Forehand during my participation as an Oolite Arts Teen Artist Summer Residency Program member during the Summer of 2022. He was the Oolite Arts Resident Artist teaching the teen students about the art of printmaker.

At the end of the week that Forehand spent with the group, I asked him for an interview so that I could learn more about this talented painter who also possesses a mastery of teaching art.

Follow Matt Forehand on his Instagram account or visit his website:

https://www.instagram.com/matt.4hand/

https://matt4hand.com/

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[00:30] How important is the role of art for communities of color?

[01:45] What is it that inspires you as an artist, and how does it influence our artwork?

[02:39] What advice do you give to aspiring young artists?

[03:52] How significant are programs like PAMM Teen Arts Council for student artists?

[04:35] What is your motivation for serving as a teacher and mentor to aspiring artists?

[05:31] What were you hoping to achieve with your recent “Remnants” exhibit featured at the Locust Projects gallery in Miami?

[06:02] What was the response from the attendees to your “Remnants” exhibit altar-making workshop?

[07:12] Can you describe the art scene in Miami, and how does it differ from other cities?

[08:33] Production Credits

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As a member of the Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) Teen Arts Council, I have the privilege of meeting and speaking with many talented individuals from the art world. And since I have had the opportunity for their words to help inform and inspire me as a young artist, I feel it could do the same for others.

Thus, I have created a new series titled “Art Talks”. I will interview creative trendsetters and game-changers, who are blazing trails in the art industry and share their stories.

I was honored to have my first interviewee for the “Art Talks” series feature Miami native, Loni Johnson whose soul-stirring and fierce creative talents as an award-winning artist are only matched by her dedicated commitment to social justice and mentoring the next generation of changemakers.

Follow Loni Johnson on her Instagram account:

https://www.instagram.com/lonijae305/

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