When Matthew moved into his Aeon home nearly ten years ago, he had already begun his career as an artist. He was entirely self-taught, as he had dropped out of art school because he couldn’t afford the cost of tuition. For a couple months, he brought his portfolio of drawings around to local coffee shops, hoping someone would like his work.
He got lucky – someone did. The owner of a local jazz cafe saw Matthew’s work and asked him to create art that would match the cafe’s theme. He created pieces that featured jazz stars like Miles Davis and Louis Armstrong, and the owner loved his work. At that time, he thought his career as an artist would be easy.
Fast forward a few years, and Matthew found himself still working odd jobs to make ends meet. He had gained more painting jobs from that first opportunity at the jazz cafe, and he loved painting. But he didn’t have the funds to practice – the supplies were expensive, so he couldn’t afford to hone his skills off the job. For a while, he lived in an artists’ cooperative, which gave him some time to gain experience and learn from other painters. But he was more introverted than the other residents in that community, and eventually he decided to move somewhere a bit quieter.
Matthew found a home with Aeon that met his interest in living downtown while still having somewhere quiet. With the support of a Resident Connections staff member, Matthew received help with the rent when he lost work during the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, he’s on a path to find steady employment.
In the meantime, Matthew continues to paint. Over two decades, he’s learned a lot – not only about techniques and color theory, but also about his painting style. As a self-taught artist on a tight budget, it took some time. But he has found his stride as a painter. His most recent piece, a mural at his former artists’ coop, epitomizes what he hopes the Minneapolis community will be in the coming years: a place for neighbors to continue working together to create something beautiful. Visit Matthew’s Instagram here.
