The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

Monica Otto Winderl has been introducing Big Sandy students to the fine arts for three years, which has rounded out her 22 year career as an art teacher. Though she isn't from Big Sandy, Monica spent her growing up years visiting family in the area. Her father is first cousins with Ron Otto. An accomplished artist, her work has been on display in galleries around the state, including Fort Benton.

Monica didn't set out to go into either art or teaching as a career. She explains: "I fell into it. I went to college for a fine arts degree. Actually, I started college to be an accountant, and it got very boring. My friend said: 'You're always drawing. You're always doing art. Why don't you try to do something like that?' I didn't want to be a starving artist, so I said 'No.' I went into advertising. I have a fine arts degree in print making, painting, photography, mass communications, and advertising. So I worked for an advertising agency for a while and then, long story short, I got married. The art teacher at Highwood quit in the middle of a semester, and I was asked if I wanted to do it. I said 'No.' But my husband and my mom said 'Go try it. You might like it.' And that was 22 years ago."

For the majority of her teaching career, she worked in Highwood,. She and her husband own a cattle ranch in Shonkin. When the art teacher position at the Highwood school was eliminated, she found a job in Big Sandy within two days of beginning her search. "He's there. That's why Christian and I, we live here during the week, then we go to the ranch on the weekends."

She describes her experience in Big Sandy in glowing terms: "The staff is wonderful. The kids are wonderful. Christian, my son, has been done great here. My daughter graduated last year, and she had so many opportunities, more than she had in Highwood. The kids are genuine. My son has 6 kids that he hangs out with all the time. Everyone is nice to everyone, and they don't exclude my kids, so that was the really big thing. People have been super nice to me. I'm involved. Now I'm Vice President of the Booster Club. I'm trying to get into the community also. It has been a very good experience for my family."

She describes her family as close. She has been happily married to her husband, Brett, for 25 years. She has a son enrolled at Big Sandy, Christian. Her daughter, Lilly is in college. They spend as much time together as they can, given the demands of her work schedule, her son's sports involvement, and other commitments. "I like the outdoors. Spending time with my family, though we don't have a lot with one kid in sports and working here. I put 150% into my students. Giving them the best experience I can. I have had a few that expanded and went to college in the arts - become professional photographers and all that kind fo stuff."

She also enjoys working on her art, which is an important part of her life. "Before kids came along, I had my art in ten galleries in the state. I do a variety of different kinds of art. The only thing I really am not is a potter. I don't do ceramics. Mainly 2D. Photography and stuff like that. I used to be in a gallery in Fort Benton."

Her favorite artist is Vincent Van Gough, citing his use of color and her own preference for expressionist style and vibrant colors in her own work.

Her own love for photography is showing through in her teaching of our students in Big Sandy. She is currently working with two students in developing as photographers and hopes to eventually acquire SLR cameras to expand that element of the art program.