Winthrop High School is filled with amazing and hardworking teachers that teach all types of subjects! Because of that, The Viking Times wants to recognize these teachers and this week I picked my art teacher: Mr. Coleman! While I’ve only met him this year through art 2, I always look forward to his class. Mr. Coleman is extremely compassionate and helpful towards his students. Not only does he give you fun projects, he is also very encouraging towards me and many other students to try their hardest while also being able to create a fun and safe learning environment. Without further ado, here is everything you need to know about Mr. Coleman!

First, I asked Mr. Coleman about his teaching life.

Ariana: Why did you want to become a teacher?

Mr. Coleman: I wanted to become an Art teacher because I’ve been drawing since before I was two. For me, it’s kind of second nature. 

Ariana: What led you to work at WHS?

Mr. Coleman: I went to Boston University for my teaching degree. Part of earning this degree was that I had to student teach Art at a High School in Boston for a year, and so about eleven years ago I was fortunate enough to be placed here at Winthrop High School with former WHS Art Teacher Mrs. Kearney as a mentor.      

Ariana: How many years have you been teaching?

Mr. Coleman: Around eleven years with everything combined (teaching at community centers, Art centers around Boston, at a few after-school programs, and so on).

Ariana: If you weren’t an Art teacher, what job do you think you’d have?

Mr. Coleman: I’ve always wanted to write and illustrate children’s books. Either that or a maybe a Tattoo Artist. 

Ariana: Besides art, what other subjects would you like to teach?

Mr. Coleman: Creative writing, or maybe Chess? 

Then, I asked Mr. Coleman questions about art, obviously!

Ariana: Who is your favorite artist and why?

Mr. Coleman: It’s very hard to say because I am completely obsessed with Art. Probably Pablo Picasso and Robert Rauschenberg. Picasso because I always find new things looking at his work, and Rauschenberg because I love his “Combine” paintings. Rauschenberg who made Art out of unconventional & everyday materials used to say that he “worked in the gap between Art and life.”  

Ariana: When did you first become interested in art?

Mr.Coleman: I’ve always been interested in Art.  

Ariana: What’s your least favorite style of art?

Mr. Coleman: Least favorite style- the kind of Art that you see hung in hotels I suppose.

Ariana: Do you have any advice for new artists?

Mr. Coleman:  The best advice I heard along the way was just “Work your dream.” You just have to keep pushing yourself, keep absorbing all kinds of Art, and take whatever the next step is before you’re ready. 

Lastly, I asked him some questions about his life.

Ariana: When did you realize you were good at art?

Mr. Coleman: I knew I was onto something when I kept seeing my work hung on our family refrigerator.  Even to this day I still keep the fridge door pretty stocked up.  

Ariana: What is your life like outside of teaching and art?

Mr. Coleman: My life outside of school is pretty wild.  Art projects and comics mostly. I have a 2-year-old daughter who I collaborate with on Art projects with all the time.

Ariana: Do you make your own art? If so, do you sell it?

Mr. Coleman: I make a LOT of Art in my spare time, and sometimes I do sell it here and there but I’ve never been much of a business-minded person.  I’m way more interested in making things. 

Those were all the questions I gave Mr. Coleman, but The VIking Times hopes you enjoyed learning a bit more about him just as much as we did. If you’re ever on the 3rd floor, make sure to pop in and say hello to Mr. Coleman. You’ll probably see him creating artwork with his students (or putting paper Oscar the Grouch on a trash bin!) Again, Mr. Coleman is an extremely passionate teacher who loves teaching art. If you’re interested in art, I highly recommend taking his classes. Thank you Mr. Coleman!