Matt Braun MAT '17
Art is a form of empowerment, solidarity, and a means to find peace in this world.
While most graduates prefer teaching jobs in PK-12 schools, Matt Braun had a different idea. He chose to move to Mumbai, India to begin his career at Ascend International School, an interactive laboratory for learning that reflects many of the same values as the MAT Program: inquiry, high expectations, community of learners, collaboration, and an appreciation for cultural richness.
Matt enjoys his position at Ascend, but is especially passionate about his afterschool volunteer work at the Dharavi Art Room. Dharavi is a neighborhood in Mumbai that has been labeled the largest "slum" in Asia with over one million people living in less than a square mile. The Art Room provides a safe place for children to play, learn and express themselves. They explore personal and neighborhood issues through artistic mediums, widening the communication between disparate groups within the larger community.
What better way of promoting the mission of the Dharavi Art Room than through printmaking? That’s where Matt and his artistry come in! Matt has spent his adult life as a printmaker and art activist. Having facilitated printmaking projects with students in Nepal prior to enrolling at MECA&D, he deepened his knowledge of teaching and learning while completing the MAT program. The college’s value of community engagement shines in Matt’s activism.
Printmaking, the process of creating multiples, has a long history of making art accessible to all and spreading it to the masses. During an upcoming project, children from the Art Room will explore printmaking as a way to share their own thoughts and stories. Each child will learn about the printmaking processes, explore mono-printing and create their own original linoleum relief prints that will result in a group exhibition. They also hope to put together a book documenting the workshop and the artwork created during this project.
Matt would like to assemble printmaking kits for the Dharavi Art Room that include linoleum plates, water based inks, carving tools, brayers and other materials for the workshop. To achieve this goal, he has stablished a funding site to help defray costs. Funds will also be used to help support a group art show where the children will be able to exhibit their artwork.