Matt Drissell creates to process what he encounters. Melting, crushing, rendering, and glazing, he plays with popsicles, dirt, ink, and paint, finding methods and materials that speak to the larger context for his work. Often this suggests interaction with the natural world.  
 
Having spent much of his life in the Midwest, Matt now finds himself staggered by the complexities of New Mexico – harsh deserts, rushing streams, jagged rocks, thick snow, colorful cacti, tall pines – this visual mashup offers much to process. 
 
He has an M.F.A. in Painting from New York Academy of Art and a B.A. in Art from Wheaton College. Name a 2015 Iowa Artist Fellow by the Iowa Arts Council, Matt’s work has won numerous awards, and has been featured in solo and group exhibitions at the Sioux City Arts Center, Northern Arizona University, Michigan State University, and the University of Nebraska, amongst others. Matt has also been a certified art teacher, having taught middle and high school art for five years in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and St. Louis, Missouri. Currently, Matt is an Associate Professor of Painting and Drawing at Western New Mexico University, where he leads courses in 2D studio art.
 
He lives in Silver City with his family, where they love to wander in the Gila Wilderness, enjoy delicious food, and explore both the past and present culture of southwest New Mexico.