Matthew’s interest in art and graphics started very young as he grew up in the small town of Hale, Michigan.

Now a student of photography and graphic design at the prestigious Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids, InspirED Michigan talked to Matthew to see how his education affected where he’s been, and how it helped him get where he is today.
 
What was school like for you?
Matthew: School was a primarily a place for me to expand my horizon on unknown topics, and push myself to do better. Hale Area Schools is a very small community, I graduated with 32 students in my class. Throughout my education, my career choices changed, but something stayed the same, staying in the small town of Hale was not for me.
 
Despite knowing he wanted to explore geographically, growing up in Hale instilled in Matthew a “different set of values.”
 
What experiences did you have in your school that you wouldn't have had somewhere else?
Matthew: The sense of community you experience living in an area like that is something that you don’t get anywhere else. I feel like that has influenced and molded me to be the person I am today. As a little child, my passion had always been art. I had the opportunity to paint a mural on one of the hallways walls my senior year of school. The satisfaction of leaving my imprint in my small town, is very gratifying.
 
One of the driving forces behind Matthew’s development was his high school art teacher Marcy Putnam.
 
“My art teacher in school, really pushed me to do great things. She has really influenced me, and who I have become today.”
 
How did your school experience help lead you to where you are today?
Matthew: Currently I am studying photography and graphic design at Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids Michigan. Currently I am running a photography business, going on four years now.
 
Matthew has been actively involved in the art community in Grand Rapids, a Michigan hotbed for artists and arts culture. Through his photography business, Matthew Provoast Photography (http://www.matthewprovoast.com/), Matthew has photographed weddings, portraits and more and earned an income doing what he loves. Matthew has presented his work at galleries and shows throughout West Michigan. 
 
“I think that the education in a public school results in a much larger perspective in life,” Matthew says. “My down to earth personality spawns from the fact that I did grow up in such a small town and have those values. I think today, it is one of my strengths that pushes me to do what I do.”