Photography and video teacher, Amy Moore, uses her multifaceted artistic journey to eloquently teach students how to incorporate a variety of media into their work. Unbeknownst to a number of Amy Moore’s photo and video students, Moore was originally found her place in the art world through architecture, ceramics, painting, pottery, and sculpture.

“My first degree was at Tulane University and I went for architecture. I took classes my senior year in the Newcomb pottery program at Tulane. I loved it so much that I went to New York, where I’m from, to take classes at NYU for a while, and then decided to get another degree which brought me to Chicago at the Art Institute,” Moore explains.

Moore has always been interested in teaching, and her passion for connection with other artists seemed to draw a clear path to becoming an educator.

“One of the primary reasons why I got into teaching was because I did a lot of studio art, and that’s a very solitary thing. I’m a super social person, so I like that part of teaching, that social interaction,” Moore says.

Even though cultivating the next generation of artists can be time consuming, Moore explains how her inspiring students feed her imagination. Currently Moore is teaching four classes, so she does not loads of time to create her own art, but she does explain that teaching requires creative lesson planning and innovative thinking

“I wish I had more time to do art. In a perfect world I would teach every other year, and make art every other year,” Moore explains. “I have three artist residencies for the summer, one at the U of I and two at MIAD, where you get to go for a week or two and work on your own art,”

Moore still creates pottery and ceramics works, occasionally selling her pieces. In the past, Moore had a studio at Lillstreet Gallery in Chicago, selling her work full time. She hopes to move back into creating her own art because her time has freed since her children have grown.

“I’ve been really successful selling my work, it’s just a matter of time with teaching high school because it takes up your whole week,” Moore says.

Moore wants to start creating work again, and has some ideas for future projects.  She hopes to work more with animation and GIFs. Moore wants to use those forms of art on political and mythological projects moving forward.