Photos by Laura Cramer
With a society leaning more and more toward science and technological progress, high school art classes are at risk of being downsized or cut each year. Many people don’t see the need for these programs when students could be taking more science or math classes. However, for Fargo native and veteran teacher Michael Dunn, art has always been more than just a class, it’s been a refuge.
To local artist Michael Dunn, art has always been more than a hobby or even a career. It has been his outlet and his retreat.
“As a kid, I always drew and doodled and I had a place,” said Dunn. “We lived in a house, my siblings, stepdad and me, and we had a closet – it was quite large – and what I did was I put a little table in there, and I had a little lamp and that’s where I’d go. That was my refuge. And that’s where I drew and drew and drew and that’s where I went.”
Football, Art and War
Dunn stayed in Fargo until he finished high school — regardless of the fact that the rest of his family moved out to Seattle before he was done. Though he had originally intended on entering the military and fighting in Vietnam after graduation, Dunn attributes being where he is today to a single phone call to his high school football coach. Thanks to that one call, Dunn ended up with a football scholarship to the North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton, N.D.
About not going to Vietnam, Dunn said that, “Had it not been for art, had it not been for sports, I would not be here. So I tell that to people, now this generation doesn’t know much about Vietnam, but it’s clear where I was going. There was no doubt about it.”
"IT'S NEVER BEEN A JOB TO ME. I NEVER THOUGHT OF IT AS WORK OR GOING TO WORK."
His time in Wahpeton was cut short by a career-ending neck injury in his second year. Thinking that was the end of college for him, Dunn dropped out and did what he called “the hippie thing” for a while and hitchhiked around the United States. When Dunn did decide to go back to school, he based his decision off of where his friends were and ended up at Valley City State University.
After graduating with a double major in art and physical education, Dunn began his long career as a high school art teacher. He and his wife spent time at a couple of different schools in North Dakota before finally returning to Fargo in 1988 and Dunn began his career at Moorhead High School.
Keeping Art in School
Coming from a dysfunctional family and struggling academically throughout school, Dunn knows the importance of keeping arts in today’s schools. He empathizes with students who struggle in school or have trouble at home, and he knows that having access to art classes is beneficial to them.
“As far as what’s important about this, it’s their salvation, it’s their refuge, it’s all those things that you do and all those things you’re about when you’re inside yourself,” said Dunn. “This is just one of many ways to convey your thoughts, feelings, ideas and expressions.”
After 40 years of teaching, Dunn has finally retired from his career as an art teacher, but the impact he has had on his students will continue for generations to come.
“One of the seniors, I gave this little speech to. I said, ‘This is what’s going to happen in your life. You’re going to go out and become doctors and lawyers and rocket scientists, but there will come a time when this will resurface, and when it does, take it. When your children are old enough and all this, it’s here. This is your thing. Everybody’s got their thing in life that they go to and this is yours.’ And they will.”
Dunn’s art can be found on display at Underbrush Gallery in the 25th Street Market in Fargo.
To contact Michael Dunn or to learn more about his artwork, visit studiodonline.com.
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