`Timothy O’loughlin is the newest art teacher here at North, and if you think he looks familiar, you would be right. Lovingly known as “Mr. O,” he worked at the Read elementary school here in Oshkosh for several years before coming to North. 

After working in elementary since he was hired in 2005, O’loughlin welcomes the change in clientele. 

“I loved elementary, I still do like elementary but I just wanted a chance to teach high school and they really haven’t hired a new teacher since Mr.Rowe. They haven’t really hired a new teacher since Mrs. Newton which is ten years ago,” O’loughlin says.

While his students have changed, his passion for teaching art has remained the same.

“I have created art my entire life and really enjoy 3-dimentional mediums. I always had a passion to help people, so I always planned on becoming an art teacher,” O’loughlin says.

Instead of choosing to be an artist, though, he chose to help kids learn to love art. 

“I just wanted to be one that would help inspire other kids to enjoy art,” O’loughlin says. 

Even when he was younger, O’loughlin loved to doodle and be creative so he knew he wanted to do something with art, and his passion for helping people made the choice to become a teacher an obvious one. 

“As I was growing up I was always building things, doodling, and just being creative. So yeah, I always knew I wanted to do something with art since I was little. Also, when I was about 3 or so, I would have been okay with becoming Superman.”

Outside of school, O’loughlin enjoys spending time with his family consisting of his wife and two kids. He enjoys movies such as Back to the Future. His favorite sandwich might surprise for an artist. 

“My favorite sandwich has to be the good old classic Peanut butter and Jelly. I have this sandwich every day for lunch. Usually creamy peanut butter and cherry jelly. But sometimes I go crazy and change things up with crunchy peanut butter and a different kind of jelly.

In high school, he participated in many sports such as football, basketball and track. In football he was a tight or defensive end. While playing a forward in basketball but didn’t get to play much, and then in track he threw shot and discus.   

“In football I played tight end, defensive end, I was also on the special teams as a blocker. For basketball I was a forward, but I mostly watched and didn’t get in the games that much. For track I threw shot and discus, ran the 100, 200, and 400 every once in a while.”

O’loughlin was even in the chess club and a singing club called “Music Liturgy” which he describes as “the thing to do”. 

After high school O’loughlin worked in construction while in college at UW-Oshkosh. He worked mostly with concrete and lots of landscaping. O’loughlin enjoyed being outside and the hard work. O’loughlin says he learned a lot of skills that would later benefit him as a homeowner. 

“When I worked construction I mostly worked with concrete, I also did a lot of landscaping. When I worked construction I loved working outside and the hard work that went into it.”

Although O’loughlin appreciates all artforms, he does have his favorites.

“Ceramics is my favorite medium, but really anything 3-dimensional. I also love building things with wood and functional design,” he says.

As for artists, he favors who you would expect a teacher to: his students

“I know it sounds a little cheesy, but that’s what gives me the drive to become a better teacher and brings joy to my job.”

O’loughlin encourages artists—and everyone—to follow their passion. 

“You don’t really work a day in your life if you are doing what you love.”

Lizzy Scharpf