Douglas Condon, the visual arts teacher at Academy shares his experiences prior to teaching. He also shares what motivated him to become an artist and his fascination with art.
Condon has always had a passion for the visual arts, which began in his childhood. As a kid, he loved to read books and visually picture the events and stories that he would read about. He would also sketch or draw things out that interested him, allowing him to freely express himself and his creativity. “I have always liked art ever since I was little but I mainly picked it up in junior high when I had got into an art class.” Once he had taken art as a class, he knew that he loved it and wanted to pursue it further.
Entering the workforce, Condon worked on various projects before becoming a teacher. He worked for Disney Animation Studios for 10 years and as a comic book artist for DC Comics for four years. However, neither of these jobs felt like they were a fit for Condon. He explains that there wasn’t much room to expand and grow, or that some parts of the job were seasonal and not year-round.
So Condon opted to pursue a career in which he could freely share his passion for art and potentially inspire others to become artists themselves. Teaching was the perfect fit for this and out of the several schools that offered him positions he chose to teach at Academy. Condon had already gotten to know the staff of Academy and the surrounding community while student-teaching, which drew him to work at Academy.
In Condon’s classroom he encourages his students to work on independent projects where they can express themselves while also receiving support from their peers and himself. Mr. Condon sees all of his students being able to think creatively, “Everyone can do well and be creative in their own ways,” he says. He enjoys seeing his students love art and pushes them to be the best versions of themselves that they possibly could be.
In addition to his role as the visual arts teacher, Condon is also the coach of the chess and girls varsity basketball team. When he first started as a teacher, he never imagined himself taking on additional roles because he wanted to ensure he had time for his personal art projects. But throughout his career, Condon was able to create a good balance between his personal endeavors and coaching teams which he found to be quite enjoyable.
Throughout everything, Condon has always been an artist at heart. He found his passion for art at a young age and found it rewarding to showcase it to others. He wants people to succeed and support them in any way he can so they can unlock their full potential in whatever they choose to proceed in.