John Kohn
Art/Media Arts/Portfolio Development
(since 2003)
Email: jkohn@southwesternacademy.edu
Extension: 245
BIRTHPLACE: St. Louis, Missouri
COLLEGE DEGREE: M.A. Education, Azusa Pacific University; California Teacher’s Credential in Art, Azusa Pacific University; B.A. Fine Arts, Indiana University; B.F.A. Graphic Design, California College of the Arts
CLASSES TAUGHT: Art, Media Arts, Graphic Design, Portfolio Development
EDUCATIONAL FIELD TRIPS: Huntington Gardens, Norton Simon Museum, Art Center College of Design, Portfolio Day, Old Mill
SOMETHING YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW: I worked in the special effects industry as a digital compositor. I worked on such films as Mars Attacks and Armageddon.
I AM IN CHARGE OF THE FOLLOWING SCHOOL EVENTS/ACTIVITIES: ArtsFest
INTERESTS OTHER THAN TEACHING: Spending time with my wife who is also a teacher and with my two daughters. I enjoy regular visits to the Huntington Gardens, tennis, St. Louis Cardinal Fan, impressionist paintings, travel, snorkeling in Hawaii.
I LIKE TEACHING AT SOUTHWESTERN BECAUSE: I’ve been able to design the art curriculum to not only follow the California state standards but to create a unique learning environment that integrates the latest technology along with traditional methods in art. The art department has the latest technology such as SketchUp Pro used with our 3D printer, Final Cut Express, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Illustrator, which all run on Apple Computers. It is very helpful to have a full computer lab within the art studio. The small class size allows me to cover more material and experiment with new projects.
FAVORITE QUOTE: “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” – Pablo Picasso
MY TEACHING PHILOSOPHY: I believe that every student is a truly unique individual with their own path and rate of achievement independent of those around them. As William Faulkner said, “Always dream and shoot higher than you know how to. Don’t bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself.”