Michael Dunn: Artist and Teacher

Arts | May 2nd, 2016

By Elle Anderson

Michael Dunn, art teacher at Moorhead High School, will be retiring this year. After 40 years of teaching and 30 years of coaching, Dunn says, “I really do feel that becoming a teacher was my destiny.” The Underbrush Art Gallery will be hosting a reception for Dunn on May 5.

Dunn’s life growing up

Growing up wasn’t easy for Dunn. His mother passed away when he was younger and he never knew his father. Dunn struggled all throughout middle school and high school. He was never expected to go to college and receive a degree or amount to anything. Once he graduated from Fargo South High School, Dunn was going to move to Seattle and join the military. Instead, an opportunity fell into his lap. Throughout high school he played football and was approached by Al Grage to receive a scholarship to play for North Dakota State College of Science.

The tradition of struggling with school continued as Dunn was attending NDSCS. After a severe neck injury, Dunn quit college and started working as a laborer for two dollars an hour. One day during work Dunn thought to himself, it is time to start doing something else. He had a couple of friends that were attending Valley City State University and decided to take classes. Dunn took physical education classes, art classes and was a trainer.

Dunn began teaching

Dunn being the only one of seven children to graduate from college, found a teaching position at Fort Yates. After a year Dunn and his family moved to Dickinson. During this time he was also coaching football. In 1988 Dunn and his family decided to move to Moorhead to allow him to focus on his passion for art.

When they first moved, Dunn started painting and was a part of the event Art in the Park. Later, a teaching position opened up at Moorhead High School and Dunn was hired for the job. As the years have passed he looks back and truly believes that teaching picked him. Dunn says, “I learn so much from these kids. Every year I reevaluate the approach and learn something new.” If he had the chance to live life all over again he would do the same thing. “This was the career I was suppose to have,” says Dunn.

Going for road trips

In addition to teaching art, Dunn traveled and did research on every trip. His favorite location is New Mexico and that was when Dunn discovered his love for painting non-traditional art. In each piece of art, Dunn has a relationship with everything he paints. He tells his class to create art that will visually offend the viewer in order to get the person to think about the art. Cam Herbel, student of Dunn’s, says, “He always tells us to leave the stress at the door and to empty your cup of knowledge.” She enjoys taking his class because he is knowledgeable about art and a great teacher of art.

In celebration of Dunn retiring, Underbrush Art Gallery will be holding a reception for him. At the reception there will be new pieces of art that no one has seen. “This artwork is new and fresh,” says Dunn. There will also be an artist talk, appetizers and drinks.

Information

Mick Dunn artist reception

Thursday, May 5, 5p.m. to 9p.m, artist talk at 7p.m.

Underbrush Art Gallery 1450 25th St S Fargo, ND

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