Supported by a plethora of expertise in creative expression, Lonnie Carlos Tapia has excelled as a teacher and creative specialist with Father Tolton Catholic High School in Columbia, Missouri, since 2013. Applying his experience in the creative arts to his present role, Mr. Tapia previously served in a number of capacities in the fields of art and marketing. As such, earlier in his career, he was a teacher of marketing, advertising, fashion design, illustration, painting and drawing with various colleges.
In addition, Mr. Tapia served with such companies as Venture Stores, Inc., and Lane Bryant, Inc., in merchandising and design roles, including as the director of merchandising and a packaging director. Moreover, he was a photographer and printing specialist, as well as a creative director, point of sale marketing manager and graphic designer. He draws upon a diploma from David H. Hickman High School in Columbia, Missouri, as well as a Bachelor of Fine Arts, with an emphasis in commercial art, from Columbia College.
Applying his passions to written works and artwork, Mr. Tapia is the notable author of the book “Father of Instinctivism,” as well as an additional book that showcases art methodologies and designs. He is also a talented painter, having painted “The Light that Guides the Faithful” in 2021. His commissioned painting features the late Venerable Father Augustus Tolton, who lived from 1854 to 1857 and was the very first Black priest of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. The painting is six-feet by four-feet and is estimated to be worth $100,000. Mr. Tapia advises that his purpose in life is to share the word of instinctivism, as well as demonstrate to artists that it is important to explore pure artistic expression, such as those that begin with no preconceived notion of what art should be.
Mr. Tapia is revered for his talents in creating hyper-realistic work in virtually every medium, including in gloss, watercolors, oils, acrylics and charcoal. He urges individuals to go above and beyond what they see in his written works, leveraging his legacy to create significant pieces of artwork that are better than what they have created previously. To this end, Mr. Tapia acknowledges that instinctivism is not only a distinct genre of art, but also a methodology by which other artists can learn and master. Above all else, however, he desires to pass down his legacy to his children and grandchildren.
Among the many highlights of his career, Mr. Tapia is especially proud of helping the companies for whom he worked years ago, as well as his distinguished accomplishments as a recognized artist. He has been honored on a regional, national and international level for producing art in his diverse range of mediums. Looking toward the future, Mr. Tapia intends to witness the continued growth of his career as both an educator and an artist of instinctivism.