Few Stuyvesant teachers other than art and technology teacher Joel Winston can boast of having “spent time” on Rikers Island. To film the inmates, that is.

Not only does Winston have more “street cred” than most, he has a unique artistic background. Though now focused on teaching—his last exhibition was more than three years ago—Winston has contributed work to 14 major exhibits, as well as a “bunch of other forgettable galleries,” Winston said.

Winston’s knack for art showed itself early. “When I was a little boy, I used to make battle scenes with my soldiers. I’d set up battles like the Battle of Britain and then draw them,” he said. As Winston’s passion grew, his art became a source of conflict. “I originally wanted to go to a Fine Arts College, but my parents were against it, so I left home,” he said.

Seeking reconciliation with his parents, Winston agreed to study filmmaking. After graduating from the School of Visual Arts, he did mostly commercial photography work, while dabbling in off-Broadway directing, short film and music video production. He even played in about six underground bands, with names such as the Snotras and the Lovestains.

After getting sick in his third year of college, he had been inspired to do medical research. Winston went to Hunter College to attend night pre-med classes.

After two semesters, Winston found himself unable to cope with the pressure of his hectic life.

Luckily, he stumbled across an advertisement for a job teaching film to Rikers Island inmates. “It seemed interesting and challenging,” Winston said, who nailed the position because of his experience with film and eventually captured “amazing footage of the inmates,” he said. But one warden claimed to have found a law stating that it was illegal for prisoners to use photographic devices. “The footage was confiscated and the program terminated,” Winston said.

Following the Rikers Island project, Winston was invited to remain with the Board of Education (BOE). His many science credentials qualified him to teach science at Bushwick Outreach High School. Despite his love for science, a visit to a figure drawing class attended by an architect friend reminded him of his past life.

“I got the bug again,” Winston said.

Winston’s interests began to diversify once more. After returning to school for a Masters in Fine Arts, he taught at a small Bronx art school. He also joined a fencing club. He “had to figure a way to jostle [his] interests,” he said. With his ties to the BOE, Winston was able to transfer to Stuyvesant, which allotted more freedom to pursue side-projects.

At Stuyvesant, Winston has been able to foster these pastimes. Along with coaching the fencing team, Winston teaches art history and digital photography classes.

Winston uses his eclectic to offer students an insider’s perspective during instruction and as a guide to new and exciting art shows.

“I used to be afraid of the techniques. I thought the picture would lose its originality,” said junior Carie Xu, a student in Winston’s digital photography class who was hesitant to use Photoshop to edit photos. But, “seeing how he used photography techniques so much” encouraged her to be more experimental, she said.

Winston has also transformed art appreciation class, which many students see as a dull art history course, into a place of expression. “He lets us freestyle and have more opportunities to draw,” said sophomore Ivy Lio, a former art appreciation student. “He’s a very free person, you can see it in his art, from his color choice.”

Winston uses his own portfolio to supplement the curriculum. “He’d show us how he used techniques from different periods in his own art,” sophomore Hayward Leach said. Winston’s current photography consists of holographs and anaglyphs, his “latest passion,” he said.

“He has a wonderful scope and passion with which he experiences life and I am sure this is reflected in his teaching,” photography teacher and colleague Jan Juracek said.

Though Winston “kind of [likes] the pattern of teaching art and photography,” he often has dilemmas over what he should devote his time to. “It’s always a battle if I can devote my time to the art,” Winston said. But Winston doesn’t plan on cutting down on other activities either. “It’s about finding a happy medium for me.”