Interested in pursuing a career in the arts? Join this panel of creative professionals to hear about their journeys as working artists. Featured panelists include Indigenous welder and jeweler Matthew Sanchez, multi-hyphenate artist Jim Hastings, and socially engaged creative Fred Villanueva. This career talk is happening in person and it's free to participate!
About the Panelists
Jim Hastings
Jim Hastings has taught a variety of art classes to children, teens, and adults over the last 22 years. Along with his teaching schedule, Jim has drawn or painted almost every day since the mid-90s, had artwork included in numerous shows, designed and painted murals, and illustrated and written children's books. Hastings has a BFA in Drawing & Painting from the Kansas City Art Institute and an MA in Art Education from the University of North Texas. He is married and the father of four daughters and one son.
Find him on Instagram @ jhastings40.
Matthew Sanchez
Matthew Sanchez is an Indigenous artist from Dallas who specializes in welding and other metalworking. Sanchez graduated from Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in 2020 and since then has been a working artist all around Dallas. He focuses on sharing his multicultural roots through his work.
Find him on Instagram @ matthew_sanchez._art.
Fred Villanueva
Fred Villanueva (born 1973) creates large-scale paintings, sculptures, and time-based installations. His work combines images with abstract and figurative styles. Current major projects include the creation of Ash Studios, a monumental-scale social practice art project in Dallas and its emphasis on trans-disciplinary and conceptually driven practice.
Find him online @ AshStudios.org.
About the Moderator
Aileen Chantabutr
Aileen Chantabutr is a senior at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. She is currently interning with Teen Programs at the DMA. As an artist herself, her work takes inspiration from personal experiences and interactions with the people around her. By collaging old fragments of her past life to who she is now, Chantabutr is able to utilize her art as a more comprehensive scrapbook, preserving her current self and newly formed memories with the old.