Elio L. Arteaga, MFA is an accomplished graphic designer and educator with over three decades of experience in teaching and professional development. Born in Cuba in 1965, Elio immigrated to the United States with his family at age three.
He pursued his passion for the visual arts, studying Commercial Art and Advertising Design at Miami Dade Community College, under the tutelage of Paul R. Gillespie and Don W. Ink, a renowned watercolorist, whose paintings of Florida Keys wildlife grace the walls of offices and homes throughout South Florida.
At Florida International University, Elio completed a Bachelor’s degree in Advertising and Mass Communications, studying under professors Pat Rose and Margo Berman, the author of Street Smart Advertising (2007), The Brains Behind Great Ad Campaigns (2009) and The Copywriter’s Toolkit (2012).
He then went on to complete a Master of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design from Florida Atlantic University. His FAU professors Stephanie Cunningham, Walter Delaney, Linda Johnson, Andrei Kulawik and David Hochstadter were among Elio’s most influential role models in his growth as a designer and design instructor.
Elio completed 60 graduate credits toward a Ph.D. in Art Education, Curriculum & Instruction with a concentration in Language, Literacy and Culture. His professors, Linda A. Spears-Bunton, Ed.D. and David Y. Chang, founding director of FIU’s Academy of Portrait and Figurative Art, shaped Elio’s teaching philosophy and practices.
Recently, Elio completed ACUE’s comprehensive seminar on Effective Online Teaching Practices and Quality Matters’ (QM) rigorous certification for online and blended teaching, formalizing and optimizing many of the teaching strategies he employs in his teaching practices, as well as learning new ones.
Elio was promoted to Associate Professor in 2024 and has received several accolades, including the 2024 Miami Dade College Alumni Association Endowed Teaching Chair and a District Award for 30 years of service.
In addition to his role at Miami Dade College, Elio serves as an adjunct instructor at both Florida International University and Broward College, where he teaches courses in visual design.
Elio lives in Hialeah, Florida, with his wife, Francis, their son, Josué, and their two dogs, Ruby and Roky. He remains passionate about fostering creativity and digital literacy in his students, while contributing to the South Florida design community.
