Have you ever met an arts teacher who makes you question not only yourself but the work that you do? What about an arts teacher who really cares more about the process then the finished product? How about an arts teacher who has a philosophical approach to art? No? Well then obviously you have never had a class with Mr. Joe Madres, an arts teacher at the Out of Door Academy.

According to Madres, “art interacts with all the other fields. And art is the physical form/approach to Philosophy.”

“At least the way I practice this, there is always a concept behind my actions and through the process of using the materials, its (art) a form of (self) discovery,” says Madres.

Mr. Madres has been teaching art at the Out-of-Door Academy for two years and has a passion for the arts like no other.

While art is a form of self expression, what he likes to do in his classes is “give the kids a bases in technique” but also art is “a way to kind of freely explore the world in a way they can’t do with other subjects,” says Madres.

Teaching kids that art cannot be a “series of steps” but rather “in order to discover and do new things you cannot just do the same steps that were already put in front of you because you know that’s going to lead somewhere ‘technically’ correct. The thing is we have all already been there.”

If you have not had the chance to take a class with Mr. Madres, you have missed out. Be sure to take a class with him next spring.