SDSU names Matthew Hebert director of the School of Art and Design

After a faculty vote, Matthew Hebert was named the new director of the SDSU School of Art and Design. Hebert has been a faculty member at SDSU since 2007, bringing almost twenty years of teaching, creative projects, and leadership experience to this position.

Since the mid-1990s, Hebert has been working under the studio name “eleet warez”, which is borrowed from hacker culture and reflects the technical skill in his pieces. He is an artist and designer whose work explores the relationship between technology, its impact on the domestic environment, and our perception of space.  

Meet Matthew Hebert 

Hebert’s journey has been built upon hands-on experience and education. He started his academic career studying architecture at the University of California, Berkeley, and later transitioned into woodworking, furniture design, and fine art.

“I graduated with a BA in Architecture in 1997. I worked as a woodworker for a few years and then attended California College of the Art and Crafts in San Francisco, getting an MFA in Wood/Furniture in 2003. The school dropped the word craft from its name shortly afterwards. A big mistake in my opinion,” Hebert said.

After completing graduate school, Hebert worked as an architectural designer, cabinet maker, and artist, often managing projects independently.

“It was a lot of fun being my own boss and incredibly stressful as I wasn’t quite sure I ever knew what I was doing as every project was different and I didn’t have a mentor or boss to look to whenever I needed,” Hebert said. 

His teaching career began in Chicago, where he worked with high school and university-level students before securing his first full-time university role.

“My break into teaching at the university level was a two-year appointment at University of Wisconsin-Madison. I taught there from 2004-2006 in the woodworking studio, as a replacement for Tom Loeser while he was the chair of the department,” Hebert said. 

In 2007, Hebert joined SDSU as a full-time tenure-track faculty member. This is a moment he describes as exciting and deeply meaningful. 

“It was a dream come true… I very much wanted to be part of a state university as I value their mission of teaching a wider range of students,” Hebert said. 

What’s next?

As director, Hebert is looking forward to shifting from his program-specific focus to a broader vision that supports the School of Art and Design's growth. 

“I am most excited about the possibility of serving the School of Art Design in a new way. I have been here for almost 18 years, and all of that time I have been so focused on the classes I was teaching and the furniture design and woodworking program. I feel that I have done well in keeping that program thriving and am proud of what I was able to do. But, now I am excited about thinking about a much bigger picture,” Hebert said. 

He emphasized the school’s unique position within a large research university and its range of disciplines and facilities.

“The School of Art and Design is a small art school housed in the middle of a giant university… We are the most well-rounded school of art and design in the region and I am looking forward to helping us build on this and continue to deliver the hands-on, yet conceptually rigorous, art and design education that our students need,” Hebert said. 

Hebert emphasized the introduction of the new Integrated Design degree program. This program combines graphic design and multimedia with emerging technologies like augmented reality and creative coding. 

SDSU faculty and staff expressed strong support for Hebert’s appointment and future goals for the school.

“The College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts is so pleased that Professor Matt Hebert was chosen to be the new Director of the School of Art and Design,” said Janis McKay, Dean of the College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts. “He has a deep knowledge of the school and is a thoughtful and collaborative leader. His vision for the school is inspiring and we look forward to making it happen together.” 

Hebert’s personal leadership style is shaped by his unique creative practice and years of mentoring students at every level. He also expressed that empathy lies at the forefront of his teaching, a value he considers crucial for education and collaboration.   

“I see empathy as one of the most valuable skills an educator or leader can have, and I plan to continue to operate in as empathetic a mode as I can as I find ways to collaborate with my colleagues in the school,” Hebert said. 

New highlights for the School of Art and Design  

The School of Art and Design has an exciting Spring 2026 planned. Just established is the Art and Design Advocacy Council, which will collaborate with professionals and supporters to further the school’s mission within the larger San Diego community. The group will provide opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to connect with resources outside of the university. 

This semester, the school is hosting the spring exhibition, Staying Power, showcasing the work of faculty and alumni of the school’s applied design program.

“That area includes ceramics, furniture and woodworking, and jewelry and metal smithing. Our applied design programs has been recognized nationally for decades. The work in this show is a testament to the strength of these areas in our school,” Hebert said. 

The exhibition is organized by Associate Professor Kerianne Quick, and Chantel Paul, SDSU galleries and exhibitions coordinator. It is guest curated by Barbara Paris Gifford, senior curator at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York. 

Hebert explained the exhibition’s significance, “This is an amazing opportunity to showcase our school’s impact on the national level. It is also part of the Handwork: Celebrating American Craft 2026. This is a national initiative to celebrate the history of contemporary craft traditions across the US. Organized by Craft in America.”  

Notably, the University Art Gallery will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2027. Specific planning is currently underway, which will feature a yearlong celebration that highlights the gallery’s history and future direction. 

For updates on exhibitions, visiting artists, and upcoming initiatives, visit the School of Art and Design’s website at https://art.sdsu.edu/, or sign up to receive the monthly SDSU Arts Guide, a roadmap to the creative heart of campus.