Katy Jones, Visiting Professor of Art and Design | Faces of Midland: Employee Edition
Artist at Work
Katy Jones didn’t take a traditional path to teaching. In fact, it was a path she almost didn’t take at all.
“People used to ask me about teaching, and my response was always that I had no interest, and I was pretty adamant about it. I was at kind of a rough time in my life and thought maybe I needed a change. One day, I was looking for jobs, and I happened to apply for an adjunct teaching position with Midland. I hadn’t taught for a while, but I took a chance. After about a month, I remember thinking, ‘I can’t believe I never wanted to do this! This is the dream, and there is nothing else I would rather be doing than being an educator!”
As a Visiting Professor of Art and Design at Midland, Katy has discovered that no two days are alike, and just like art, every day can paint a different picture. “My days are quite literally never the same. Teaching comes with its share of challenges, but educating allows me to pass on my knowledge and passion for art and its never-ending influence in our lives and culture.”
She often envisioned herself in the medical field, either helping humans or four-legged friends. “I always thought I’d be a doctor or veterinarian. My original goal was to become a plastic surgeon to help burn victims reconstruct their physical appearance. That seemed like the perfect blend of creativity, art, and science. But after losing a family member and my first dog to cancer within months of each other, I knew that wasn’t meant to be my career path. But I found out that art was what I was meant to do!”
Her love for animals is as strong as ever, and there’s a pretty good chance if you see Katy off campus, she will be in the company of her two dogs, Greta and Darci. “They are beyond spoiled and don’t understand they aren’t lap dogs, even though they each weigh 60 pounds!”
When not hanging out with her furry companions, Katy is a self-admitted nerd when it comes to video games, especially when she can “critique the graphics.” While she likes watching her share of movies, she might not be the ideal person to watch a horror flick with. “I’m that person that doesn’t get scared but laughs. I have to warn people who I don’t know if I watch a movie with them!”
You can’t take the art out of the art teacher, so it should come as no surprise that even away from Midland, Katy is an artist to the core as she works on her personal pieces. “Though I teach, I’m still a professional artist, so it’s great to be able to have time to focus on my work as well.”
Katy has a passion for teaching and believes Midland has given her the perfect platform to convey that passion. “I love the small campus. It gives me the opportunity to get to know students individually and build relationships with them that aren’t always possible at larger universities. I don’t ever want students to be afraid to ask for help, whether for homework or if you’re just having a tough time. We’re professors, but we’re also humans, so just talk to us. We’re not as scary as we look!”
Get to know Katy Jones:
Snack you can’t resist: If I’m having a bad day, a quality taco or burrito will normally turn that right around for me! Also, the Flaming Hot Cheetos with Lime.
When flipping channels, I’ll always stop to watch … Parks and Recreation. It doesn’t matter how many times I’ve seen this show, I’ll always re-watch it. I also find that I very much relate with April Ludgate, a character on the show.
Something people might not know about you: I know how to blacksmith (Like the guy on Pirates of the Caribbean, but no, I don’t make swords).
Artist that dominates your playlist: I’m all over the place with music. Lately, I’ve been into Dua Lipa, Kavinsky, The Weeknd, and the Veronicas.
Ideal vacation: I’ve always wanted to visit Ireland, but I’m also happy just adventuring with the dogs!
Most used emoji: There are a few.
The “laugh so hard I’m crying” 🤣
The Unicorn 🦄
The “Facepalm” 🤦
