1. Mark Rothko (Painter/Labor Union Organizer/Teacher)
Most of us know Mark Rothko for his paintings that are very easy to recognize. When he was young, Rothko wanted to become a labor union organizer and actually went to Yale before dropping out. He had many jobs but in 1929 he started working part-time as a teacher at the Center Academy of Brooklyn Jewish Center. Working with children taught him how visual language doesn‘t have to be super complex to express one‘s perception of reality. Rothko kept his job until 1952 and then continued the teaching journey at the Brooklyn College until 1954 when he went on to become a full-time artist.
Violet, Green and Red by Mark Rothko