Park University has another friendly, smiling face on campus.
Matthew LaRose, the new art, design and theatre department chair and coordinator for fine arts, is quickly learning his way around Park and the Kansas City area.
“Everything is all new to me,” he said. “I feel like a new student, getting lost at times, but my work study student helps me find my way.”
LaRose was born in Michigan and lived there for some years before moving to the east coast.
He earned his bachelor of fine arts degree in drawing and painting from Tyler School of Arts, which is part of Temple University in Pennsylvania.
From there, LaRose went on to graduate school and earned his master of fine arts degree in painting and print making from Yale University in New Haven, Conn.
Art has always been a passion for LaRose as far back as he can remember.
“I remember a class picture where everyone was dressed up in costumes, and there I am wearing a beret and a painted beard,” he said. “So, even back then, I knew art was what I wanted to do.”
LaRose came from a family where everyone loved drawing, but it was he who really pursued the interest and kept up with it, including trying a variety of art media.
While in school, LaRose tried different things such as playing music and taking different literature and English classes.
“I was in rock and roll bands in high school,” he said. “As an adult, I got more into acoustic music.”
Every now and then, LaRose performs at folk music festivals and Irish dances where he plays a variety of instruments including guitar and mandolin.
For the past couple of decades, he has taught at numerous schools on the east coast from as far north as Providence, R.I. to as far south as Roanoke, Va.
LaRose has headed art departments at schools in West Virginia and outside of Roanoke, so his work position at Park University is not too different.
“I saw an advertisement for the position in different art journals,” he said. “It seemed exciting, a new challenge and more encompassing, so I thought I’d apply.”
Along with being the department chair and coordinator, LaRose is also the advisor for Park’s new art club.
“I may be the advisor, but I’m actually waiting in the backseat,” he said. “I have my own ideas for what the club could do this year, but it’s the students’ club. I want to see what they come up with.”
LaRose said he hopes the art club will be a way of building a relationship between Park University and the community of Parkville.
During his free time, LaRose does exactly what he loves: creating art.
“I define myself as an artist, but when people ask me what I am, I tell them I am a painter,” he said.
LaRose said he used to paint people, but now does more landscape paintings.
One of his biggest influences is artist Julie Mehretu.
“Her work just blew me away,” he said “There is a piece that she did, and when I look at it, I think of space. It’s a wonderful piece of work.”
LaRose said he works to incorporate space in his own pieces of art.
“When I’m painting a piece, I don’t look at the trees,” he said. “I look at the space in between the trees,” he said.
“When I look at a painting, I love being slightly tilted over and having to find your way.”
With that view, LaRose hopes to instill that into his students.
“I want to teach them to open their eyes, to view the world in different ways,” he said.
“I want them to have a foundation, to know where they want to go. Doors will open for them and the world is vast.”
For LaRose, just knowing that his students are doing what they love is a great feeling.
LaRose will have an exhibit of his own artwork in the Campanella Gallery from January through February 2014.
He also has his own website for anyone interested at www.matthewlarose.com.
