Desiree Matia is an artist and arts educator based in Pittsburgh, PA. She is the Director of Arts Education at Propel Schools, overseeing programming and supporting teachers in Visual Art, Music, Performing Arts, and Movement. She is in her second year of teaching in the Art and Design Department at Carlow and loves the community and values that Carlow embodies in their programming. ​

Desiree’s experience in arts education includes K-12, Higher Education, and Community-based arts, mostly in the Pittsburgh region. As a practicing artist, she has taught summer programs and workshops specific to her work in both formal and informal capacities.​

Her professional interests include culturally responsive pedagogy and equity in the arts. She is driven by developing confidence and agency in her students through the arts and expanding those skills to real-world applications.

​Outside of teaching, Desiree keeps a studio practice in painting and mixed-media design, understanding the importance of creativity to her well-being and work in education. 

Education

• Master of Fine Arts in Painting, Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, GA (2015)
• Bachelor of Science in Art Education, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA (2008)

Professional Memberships

• National Art Education Association (NAEA)
• Associated Artists of Pittsburgh (AAP)

Research

Interests: Equity in Arts Education; Culturally Responsive Pedagogy; Social-Emotional Learning in the Arts 

Awards & Recognition

• Recipient, Professional Arts Community & Creative Activities Award, The Art of Education University (2024)
• Nominee, Educator of the Year, Propel Schools (2019 – 2018)
• Recipient, Educators’ Scholarship, Savannah College of Art & Design (2015 – 2013)
• Recipient, Educators’ Forum Scholarship, Savannah College of Art & Design, Summer Educators’ Workshop (2012)