-photo by Ryan Gerdes/graphics/ads designer

Joelle Cheek

He enjoys a good Hitchcock film, likes cookies and has taught private art lessons to students ages
12 to 70.

Luke Zimmerman is a new adjunct art and visual culture professor at Linfield. He currently teaches Drawing I and said he is taking Linfield as it comes.

Ron Mills, professor of art and visual culture, was the first to approach Zimmerman about teaching at Linfield.

“(Mills) seemed like a guy that I would have wanted to work with, and so I thought I would give it a shot,” Zimmerman said.

Not only is Zimmerman a professor, but he is also an artist. He has a shared studio space on Third Street in McMinnville, where he completes his own work and occasionally teaches a private lesson.

His artistic journey began when he was young.

“At restaurants, my mother would turn the coloring pages over so we could not see the lines to color,” Zimmerman said.

In high school, however, he strayed away from his artistic path because of an uninspiring teacher.

Finding his artistic outlet again after high school and venturing on a journey of self discovery, Zimmerman went from coloring pages to studying at the Seattle Academy of
Fine Art.

He turned to teaching for a youth program during his final year and went on to teach private lessons after graduating. 

During his time at the academy, he found a sense of self recognition.

“I was really reminded of what art was through finding myself first,” Zimmerman said.

Now instructing at Linfield, Zimmerman said he hopes students learn at least two things from him.

“In order for one to excel at art, they need the stubbornness to get it right and the tenacity to keep with it,” Zimmerman said.

He values his relationships with fellow artists and believes that finding a more knowledgeable person to learn from is key to success.

“I realized that one can learn more from life from one person than from life in general,” he said.

Seniors Keston Obendorf and Dawn Moore, students of Zimmerman, recognize his passion
for art.

“He is very encouraging,” Obendorf said. “He opened my eyes to new techniques that I didn’t know.”

Moore likes his style of critique.

“He gives very good constructive criticism, and doesn’t flower it up.” Moore said. “He is very straight
forward.”