Interview for Colleen

 

Wesley A. Morgan

My dad suggested Uncle Wes might be an interesting subject for this assignment. I was a little nervous about contacting him with my questions, but dad encouraged me to talk with him. I have met him several times but there is a lot I don’t know about him. Here are some of the answers to my questions.

Question: I know you teach art but I wonder how and when you became interested in art.

WAM: My father was an artist. He was successful running a business of commercial art. He was also a painter and fine artist. His business, Morgan Studio in Cleveland was a leader in advertising, art and photography. My uncle (my father’s brother Andrew) was also an artist. He was president of the Kansas City Art Institute. My uncle Andrew was recruited to be chairman of the art department at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. I was convinced that the University of Miami would be a great place to go to college.

Question: So you studied art at the University of Miami?

WAM: Yes, initially I enrolled as a student majoring in graphic design but my interest broadened. I ended up with a double major in Art and English (specifically graphic design and creative writing).

Question: But you also completed a Masters in Business Administration (MBA), right?

WAM: Yes, I was a pretty involved student and the University offered me a Graduate Assistantship. That paid for the masters degree since I was traveling part of the year and representing the university in 12 states over a two year period. It was an adventure traveling throughout New England and the Midwest with a few visits to the New York area.

Question: What did you do after you finished college?

WAM: I wanted to work in New York. I felt it was the best place to learn about the advertising business. I was attracted to the big advertising agency world.

Question: So you worked for an advertising agency?

WAM: Yes, in fact I worked for several different companies over the next 15 years. I got to work on a lot of big brands like Heineken (beer), JVC (consumer electronics), Matchbox (toys), Pepsi (soft drinks), Burger King and Pizza Hut (quick service restaurants).

Question: How did you end up in Saint Louis?

WAM: I was contacted by an executive recruiter (headhunter) who convinced me to join an agency based in Saint Louis. The account was to advertise a big bank. The bank was acquired by another bank and the agency lost the account. I went to another agency in Saint Louis. Unfortunately a similar thing happened there.

Question: So what did you do?

WAM: I didn’t want to move again. My two kids were in school and we decided to stay put. Rather than go to another advertising firm, I was fortunate enough to get a job as a corporate marketing manager. I eventually became a Vice President of Marketing.

Question: How did you end up as an art teacher in Saint Louis?

WAM: I cannot tell a lie. My life has been episodic. I was top marketing guy for three companies before considering working as a substitute teacher. I eventually accepted a position at the Special School District of Saint Louis. At SSD I was a sub and paraprofessional but I had to get additional certification to be a teacher.

Question: So you were a special education teacher?

WAM: Well yes, sort of. I went back to school to become a certified teacher if special education. I did that for a period of time before exploring the idea of teaching art.

Question: So you made the move in education from special education to art teacher?

WAM: That’s correct. I teach middle school students Art. I enjoy it as it takes me back to the time I really began to have an interest in art. I tell my students, “Everyone is an artist. The challenge in my class is to become a better artist.”

Question: Who do you admire as an artist?

WAM: I think Picasso is the GOAT for many reasons. But I also love Van Gogh, Matisse, Warhol and several others. During Black History Month we talked about Jacob Lawrence, a black artist who is considered among those in the 1930 part of the Harlem Renaissance.

Note: Uncle Wes was happy to provide a little ghost-writing for Colleen. And in the spirit of Mark Twain I tell the truth, mostly...

Note 2: Colleen and I finally chatted about the assignment and she has a list of questions. The conversation was fun and (surprise surprise) ended up being a lot about art, artists and my affinity for visiting museums to see art. Her version of the story was quite good. She chose to write it in first person. Interesting take.