Matthew Slaats - Executive Director, The Bridge Progressive Arts Initiative

As director of the Bridge PAI, Matthew Slaats places are at the forefront of community conversations to engage, energize, and empower local residents.  This centers on a series of programs that creates new, public modes of cultural production meant to directly impact the city.  Whether through Public Artists, a mobile, neighborhood residency program, or Maplab, an artist lead civic education program, The Bridge supports and positions artists to lead efforts in developing a creative city.

As an artist, Matthew engages in hybrid roles, as an artist, designer, teacher, organizer, and activist, focusing on a unique exploration of the complexities of the contemporary landscape. Situated in the public realm, Matthew’s work initiates ways of understanding the complexity of place, using culture, media, and technology as form for community engagement. His work has been exhibited internationally at the Bagabas Beach International Eco Arts Festival, Open Engagement, Conflux, Eyebeam, LA Contemporary Exhibitions, and the DC Arts Commissions 5x5 project. He has taught in the Urban and Environmental Studies program at Bard College and the Communications Department at Marymount Manhattan College. Matthew holds an MFA and MA from the University of Wisconsin – Madison in Art and a BA in Archaeology from the University of Evansville.