Zach Leonard He/Him/His http://zachleonardart.com zachary.leonard08@gmail.com Drawing/Painting, Interdisciplinary, and Sculpture/Installation In-person, Online, Hybrid mentor BIO Zach Leonard is committed to art education, museum/gallery programs, and research development through interdisciplinary art practices. Currently, he is a member and living resident of the Northern Warehouse Artist Collective in St. Paul. He received his BFA from the University of Northern Iowa in 2015 and his MFA from Colorado State University in 2021. In addition to being a practicing artist, Zach was an instructor at Colorado State University and assistant preparator/museum attendee for the Gregory Allicar Museum of Art. His educational and professional background reflects a range of interests, as he explores alternative forms of drawing, experimental practices through walking, and video/material installation that resonate with the fields of sustainability, geography, anthropology, and always art. Grappling with how space gets articulated, his artworks take many forms - traversing installation, sculpture, and drawing. He strives for a sense of poetry in humble materials, creating works that exist in the present moment, reflecting the fragility of the world, and allowing for individual moments of viewer creativity, experiences, and perceptions. TEACHING PHILOSOPHY & MENTORSHIP I believe a studio practice continuously moves into various stages from perceiving, experiencing, comprehending, and eventually turning struggle into solutions for artworks and for further self-reflection. And just like how a painter builds a stretcher and prepares their canvas before they apply paint, the technique of derive (walking) became an important aspect of my practice (a process of breathing in the world). For me, walking offers adventure and discovery through observation, emotional reaction, observing our society and the built environment (urban landscape), and making spontaneous decisions. I believe the accidental and insignificant things in life can be opportunities for one’s self-actualization. I encourage students to challenge their perception by developing an intuitive way of seeing their surroundings and to develop one's artistic practice through interdisciplinary research. Through sustained interactions, I build a connection with my students by sharing personal stories, interests, motivations, and perspectives. I help students identify their strengths/weaknesses and encourage them to reflect upon, assess, and strengthen this knowledge through making. I make sure students don't drift too far off the path by being there for the ups and downs while supporting their self-actualization.