Faculty

Matthew Sweeney

Director / School of Art Education

Matthew Sweeney received his Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Vermont, where he also earned a bachelor’s degree in Studio Art, Political Science, and German. His teaching career has spanned a variety of educational environments, including public, charter, and alternative middle and high schools in Vermont and California, where he taught art with a particular interest in utilizing the arts to empower at-risk youth and students with emotional and behavioral disabilities. Since joining the faculty of Academy of Art University in 2006, he has also supported students as an Academic Coach and has taught in the School of Art Education since the program began.

Matthew is a strong advocate for art education as our greatest tool for teaching critical thinking and the other skills essential to thrive in the 21st century. He has embraced the spirit of innovation in San Francisco to explore the intersection of technology, art, and teaching through a number of ventures. Beyond his many years integrating technology into his own arts classroom, he served as the Visual Arts Educator for the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, where he created one of the first interactive museum guide applications, and consults for Bay Area startups in the education technology sector.