Sisters artist honored for volunteer work

The Oregon Art Education Association has awarded Steve Mathews of Sisters with the 2014 Outstanding Service Outside the Profession Award. He was nominated by Sisters High School art educator Bethany Gunnarson, member of OAEA.

Mathews received the award as a volunteer.

Mathews started out as a professional illustrator before embarking on a long career as an educator - first as an art teacher, then as an administrator. Now in retirement, he's a studio artist, a community art organizer, and board member of Sisters Folk Festival.

He began teaching art at Aloha High School in 1969, and continued until 1987. During that time, he received his master's degree and administrative certificate from Lewis & Clark College. His interest in finding the causes of our school's dropouts led him to conduct research on the subject, beginning in 1980.

This research then led him to OSU, where he taught in the School of Education, worked on his doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction, conducted research, and worked in the Fairbanks Studio on his minor in painting. He finished in 1989, and returned to Beaverton schools to teach art. In 1990, six of the teachers who were advocates for high-risk kids started Merlo Station High School. From the initial student population of 40 students, the school expanded to 650 students by the year 2000 when Mathews retired.

Mathews developed the art curriculum at Aloha and Merlo Station, redesigned the PE program at Merlo to revolve around team-building instead of competition, coordinated the internship program, and spearheaded their move into service-learning for all students. He was named Rotary Teacher of the Year in 1986, and later received a "Golden Apple" award for teaching from Beaverton schools.

Upon his retirement in 2000, he and his wife, Jan, moved to Sisters, where Mathews continues to paint and work on sculptures. He was asked to join the board of directors for Sisters Folk Festival in order to advocate for the visual arts, in addition to music. The My Own Two Hands art auction raises thousands of dollars annually, which funds myriad art and music programs in Sisters schools.

Mathews noted, "I am happy to say that over the past eight years my sculptures have brought in just short of $18,000 toward this cause."

Mathews said, "My philosophy of art education is congruent with my view of education in broad terms. I feel that students learn most effectively at a point of some degree of discomfort - when we ask them to do what they initially do not believe that they can do. After all, if we are continually giving assignments that they can readily accomplish, why bother?

"Teaching art has the built-in advantage of creating challenges for students that ask for myriad divergent answers," he notes. "Art requires inductive - rather than deductive - thinking; it is qualitative, not quantitative; and it assumes individualized rather than standardized results. Additionally, art students are allowed to pursue their passion, make intuitive leaps, demonstrate their sense of humor, and have their efforts evaluated, not measured. Other areas of education would be well served by adopting an inquiry style, mirroring that of the arts. Standardization precludes excellence."

He continued, "My love of art is only equaled by my enthusiasm for teaching. I greatly enjoy the interaction with kids, and this has brought me to volunteer at Sisters High School for the last 10 years. First with Mike Baynes, and now with Bethany Gunnarson. They are both great to work with, and have an obvious affinity for students and a love of art!"

A couple of those students shared their impressions of Steve:

"Mr. Mathews is quite sassy for an old guy," said one student. "Nonetheless, he's brilliant when it comes to adding color to art pieces..."

Brogan Dye, class of 2014, said: "Through the many interesting stories and the many long and insightful lessons, I was able to learn a great deal from Mr. Mathews. I definitely wouldn't be anywhere near the skill level that I have today without the lessons that Mr. Mathews was able to teach me, for that I thank him.

Bethany Gunnarson said, "Steve Mathews is a character.

He has helped out in the Sisters High School art department for years before I began teaching there, and students know him as 'Mr. Old Guy.' He has a very blunt critique style with the students, which provides a nice contrast to my more gentle approach, providing them with the opportunity to respond to all different sorts of feedback like they will in life.

It's good for them.

He is extremely selfless and donates all types of time, labor, and expertise to my students.

More importantly, I think he is a model for putting his knowledge and influence to good use in the way that he advocates for the visual arts within our district and with local foundations."