Michael Arnett graduated from Wake Forest University in 2008 as a Presidential Scholar in Art with a concentration in printmaking. At Wake Forest, Arnett became a third-generation student of Robert Rauschenberg while studying lithography and intaglio under Professor David Faber. He earned Masters’ Degrees in both Art and Social Studies from Converse College in 2010 while studying silk-screen and lithography under Professor Andrew Blanchard. From 2010-2019 Arnett built an award-winning visual arts program at Whale Branch Early College High School in Beaufort, S.C. where he was the only visual arts teacher. He moved to Charleston, S.C. in 2019 hoping to build a full-time career as a visual artist. While working as a full-time artist, Arnett discovered that he missed teaching and the interactions of students on a daily basis. He is now the Visual Arts Department Chair at James Island Charter High School and teaches AP 2-Dimensional Art. Arnett practices many different styles of art while using a vast variety of media. Although currently working predominantly in oil on wooden panels, he likes to vary the medium to keep it interesting. Being a hyper-realist artist and photographer, he likes to create life-like paintings from images he manipulates from photography. Surrealism comes naturally to help create whimsical scenes playing on proportion, transparency, juxtaposition, and reflection. Artist Statement: “As a South Carolina native, I have a deep passion for my state and a strong connection to my community, which I capture in my work as both an artist and a reporter. My creations are drawn from personal experiences, resonating with my memories and imagination. While I consider myself an artist first, I take great pride in guiding the next generation of creators—my students, who pour their hearts and imaginations into their work. They are the future machines of beauty in this world. To me, successful art is something that must be created, something that embodies an artist's memories, dreams, and experiences. When a piece finds its destined home, it leaves behind a void, as it has captured a part of the artist forever."