Matthew Hollern spent his junior year of college in Aix-en-Provence, where he learned the trade of blacksmithing. He went on to earn a master of fine arts degree from the Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia, and soon thereafter began to teach at the Cleveland Institute of Art, where he heads the department of Craft Disciplines. Hollern’s work as an artist and teacher bridges the distance between new studio technologies and the traditions of craft.

Matthew Hollern has received research and professional development grants from the Society of North American Goldsmiths, Lilly Foundation, John and Maxeen Flower Fund, CIA, Community Partnership for Arts and Culture - Creative Workforce Fellowship, and two Artist Fellowships from the Ohio Arts Council. His work is included in the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Design Museum Helsinki - Finland, the Vatican Archive, the Ohio Crafts Museum, the Cleveland Art Association, and others.