Amelia Galbreath is an art teacher at Hazelwood West High School. She has been doing art and winning art contests ever since first grade. Because she did not have an actual art class until first grade, her mother would teach her how to draw portraits. She can remember drawing cartoon characters such as her favorite Garfield.

Keeping her mother’s legacy going, Galbreath decided to go to college for art education. She knew art was her thing, but she wanted to have a job that she knew she could keep and love. Being the person she is, with her jokes and sarcasm, Galbreath chose to teach young adults instead of little children who just wouldn’t understand.

“I’ve always loved art. Drawing and paintings were my emphasis, my main focuses. I knew it was my thing, but I wanted to find something that I knew was a secure job.” Galbreath said.

As professional artists do, they would normally have to go out and sell their work by promoting it. However Galbreath is not a very social person, so she knew it would be hard to go out and talk to professional people about her art.

“I’m not a very outgoing person. I’m more of an introvert, so I never thought that I would be a professional artist and have to go out and promote their artwork and have to sell it that way.” Galbreath said.

Galbreath went to Eastern Illinois University for a semester, but left and went to SIU Edwardsville where she studied art education to become an art teacher. She prefers drawing, oil pastels, and portraiture, to recreate textures and to paint with acrylic and oil. She loves how she and many other people can express themselves without using words.

“Art is life, art is everything, art is everywhere, line, shape, color, space, fashion, interior design. I think it’s a field that’s never dying. It’s inspirational. It gives people energy and it’s always changing, you’re not stuck.” Galbreath said.