MARY HILBERG MATHEWS

I was fortunate that my mother was the first in her family to go to college, thanks to an uncle who gave her a loan to be able to go. Going through high school I was enjoying the most from my music teacher Mrs. Santee and my art teacher Mr. Kleppinger.  

My family encouraged my sister and I to continue to college.  I decided I wanted to follow in my mother’s footsteps and become a teacher.  I chose Kutztown University since it was my mother’s college.  Art Education was my major.  I found I had quite a struggle in the beginning since I had sooo much to learn about art.  I also experienced a roommate who stole an idea of mine and I received the F while she got the A (my class was after hers).  As you can see college taught me more than just about an art education.  After that roommate, I had another roommate who graduated from Central Bucks High School.  This proved advantageous since her high school art program was highly advanced. 

I was fortunate that Kutztown was one of the best colleges for art education and I got my first job back in my hometown Northampton School District.  I traveled between all the elementary schools and the high school so my car became my art supply center.  I lasted one year and then moved forward to Central Bucks School District and taught and became the art coordinator at Central Bucks East High School. 

I also created and sold baskets and stained glass commissioned pieces while I was teaching.  I retired from there after 37 years of teaching, but before retiring I started my own business, ARTEDCD Company.  I went on to sell CD’s that I created teaching about how to do art, write grants etc. and also began teaching home school students in my studio and in some of the coop’s in Flemington NJ and Easton PA.  I am still teaching home school and have also expanded to teaching at Delaware Valley College CLR classes and at my church.  My students and I display work in the Doylestown Hospital Gallery.

Throughout my career I have had the fortune to teach students who are now fine artists selling work, fashion designers, sign makers, designers, graphic designers, game designers, Disney animators, etc.  It’s been a fun ride and continues to be challenging.  I still display the mosaic that I created in high school for Mr. Kleppinger.

 

Mary Hilberg Mathews

Mary Hilberg Mathews Family