Having previously taught for 18 years at The Archer School for Girls, Ms. Patricia Meyers joined Loyola’s fine arts department this year teaching drawing, ceramics and painting. Outside of the classroom, Ms. Meyers produces artwork for hotel corporations, film studios and public libraries.
A Norfolk, Va., native, Ms. Meyers graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Art Education from Old Dominion University in 1969. In 1973 she moved to Calif., where she raised her two children, Nielha and Norman, who are now also artists. Nielha, 31, is a kindergarten teacher, and Norman, 35, runs a toy company.
Ms. Meyers later attended Maryland Institute College of the Arts and earned her Master of Arts in painting in 2013.
“It was a wonderful highlight of my career: going back to school and living in the dorm,” Ms. Meyers said.
During her twenty-year tenure at Archer School for Girls, Ms. Meyers established the Fine Arts Department and served as the chairwoman until her departure. During her teaching career at Archer, she was first introduced to Loyola through a joint project with Archer students, Loyola students and fine arts teacher Mrs. Cristina Saggese.
Ms. Meyers said, “I fell in love with Loyola, and I thought it was a great place to teach.” Once she retired from Archer after 18 years, she became a substitute teacher for a year. Meanwhile, she contacted Mrs. Saggese for any job openings at Loyola.
She commented, “I thought it would be interesting to teach boys after I had taught only girls, and I love it. These boys are all so smart, passionate about their work, focused on their studies, funny, and I have such a joyful day everyday.”
Outside of the Loyola classroom, Ms. Meyers is commissioned by several film production studios to provide her artwork for the backdrops of sets in movies and television shows. Her artwork has been featured in Dave, When a Stranger Calls, Dirty Sexy Money and Once Upon A Time. Additionally, Ms. Meyers’ work can be found in hotels and her online blog that she uses to sell her artwork.
When her agent contracts a new client, Ms. Meyers follows the color scheme and other criteria provided by the client and creates abstract pieces of art. The client then selects the pieces that he or she believes best matches his or her request. The artwork is usually on display either temporarily in a backdrop of a set, or permanently in a hotel room.
Ms. Meyers’ art can also be found in public libraries. She completed an altered book piece at Alhambra Civic Center Library five years ago. “I thought I would never do such a thing, but I enjoy it because it is like a school assignment. I like the challenge that they provide me,” she said.
As a teacher for over 25 years, Ms. Meyers’ passion is to inspire and to challenge her students through artwork: “Students inspire my creativity. When I work on a project, I think of what my students will enjoy. Once I give them the assignment, I’m so excited by the many different ideas that come from one presentation.”
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