Michal Sagar

A Teacher, Student and "True Artist"

With her characteristic combination of thoughtfulness and enthusiasm, Visual Arts Department Head Michal Sagar says her position at Breck is her “most rewarding job ever. My colleagues are so committed and capable, the students are so eager to explore, and the atmosphere is one in which the arts are honored."

Michal has had the opportunity to combine a number of lifelong passions: drawing and painting, teaching, and being part of a school that values the influences of a variety of cultures and a global community. “Her energy is amazing," says Upper School English Department Head Frank Eustis. “And it’s wonderful to see her passions for kids and teaching and being a professional artist—either one of which could be a full-time career for someone less energetic—dovetail so seamlessly."

Born in Cincinnati, Michal lived in both Israel and Amsterdam before moving to San Francisco in 1973 to attend school (She earned her BFA from the San Francisco Art Institute) and spent 21 years there, living as an artist and building a home with husband Gregory, a musician, and their daughter Simone.

Much as they loved the diversity, excitement and arts community of San Francisco, the family made a decision to move so that Michal could pursue other professional opportunities, which she ended up doing as a teacher and student at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD). Why Minneapolis? “We were looking for a great art city with affordable city neighborhoods and good public schools," Michal recalls. “When I came to visit MCAD it was in February. I asked my husband, ‘Can you do this?’ and, fortunately, he said he could!"

As a professional artist whose paintings and drawings are often featured in galleries and shows, Michal works hard to make time for creating art and surrounding herself with others who do. Often, those experiences have a multicultural orientation. For example, she is currently involved in a group of Jewish, Arab and Christian artists creating portraits of each other. “It’s amazing to see how creativity can help a world situation," she observes. “We can explore the tensions, joys and difficulties we all share."

Blending cultures is something Michal enjoys within the walls of Breck, too. During May Program, she and Upper School English teacher Michael Moos decided to take up Linda Tapsak’s suggestion to explore team-teaching opportunities. They chose the topic, “What Color Is Joy: Painting and Poetry," and were both surprised by the results for themselves as well as their students. “It turned into a seamless, spontaneous conversation," Michael says. “We almost finished each other’s sentences. For the students, it was an interesting example of the way two different artists, one a painter and one a poet, work together. For me it was extraordinary. Michal is a true artist, an authentic intellectual, a spiritual pilgrim, a gifted and challenging and dedicated teacher. Our students are very fortunate to have such a talented artist-in-residence here at Breck."

That’s a theme echoed by many. Says Melissa Soderberg, “What I love about Michal is the way she gets kids to be the best they can be—producing astonishing work—without getting her own ego involved. Her students win awards like crazy, and she celebrates it for them, not because it reflects well on her." And Carol Raths says, “Michal is such a great friend—the kind of person who will listen with her whole heart and soul. She’s a wonderful artist who loves what she does and is so committed to her growth and art."

And her former student, Kevin Cannon ’98, now a professional artist, himself, says she was “the best thing to happen to my burgeoning art career. She has been a wonderful mentor, and she is extraordinarily eloquent when describing art. At Breck, Michal masterfully balances her classes’ inherent duality—that art is at once very difficult and very fun—by promoting an environment that is grounded in artistic principles but readily encourages exploration and risk-taking. And her own work is amazing!"

For Michal, it’s a joy to be surrounded by both her students and her colleagues. “Breck students have such good minds," she says. “They understand art as an exciting creative outlet that teaches them they must always be flexible. There’s no one answer to a problem." As for her colleagues, she finds that she often wishes she had the chance to be a student in their classes, too. “They all love what they do, and they’re wonderful to work with," she says. “If I hit the ball over the net, there’s always someone who will hit it back." Away from Breck, Michal spends her time with friends, family (including her rescued cat, Cleo) and her art. “I have a studio upstairs at home," she explains. “I really have two connected but different full-time jobs. But I find that when I’m teaching my students, I’m teaching myself at the same time. We all work hard together."