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 Matt Rinard, born October 24,
1964 was dropped by his grandmother twice when he was a year old.
To avoid further brain damage, his family moved every three years.
By age thirteen, he had lived in six states. His father, an overbearing
Admiral in the Navy, urged Matt not to go into art but to "get a real
job." Nevertheless Matt attended New Orleans Center for Creative Arts,
and later graduated from Florida State University with a degree in
graphic design. He tried desperately to find a job but everyone knew
he had been dropped on his head as an infant and was damaged goods.
Finally in 1988, after a brief stint as a high school teacher, Matt
launched Spilled Inc., an art publishing enterprise. The business
still adheres to Matt's time-won philosophy: "If my parents like it,
it won't sell."
Matt has been the French Quarter Festival artist for six years and
the official artist for the famous Krewe of Barkus. He was also commissioned
by fashion designer David Dart to create an exclusive clothing line
for Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Bloomingdale's. In 1988,
Anheuser Busch selected Matt's whimsical creatures for its Mardi Gras
advertisement. He also recently launched a huge ad campaign with Southern
Comfort as the featured artist for its website and print media.
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