The Man Behind the Art: Alton's Kooliverse Shares Inspiration, Goals, and Process

ALTON - Most of the community knows him as Kooliverse, but the man behind the name has a simple goal: to continue creating art by any means necessary.

Michael Snider moved to Alton 23 years ago and quickly developed a reputation as a unique artist in the region. He has over 80 pieces in The Conservatory in Alton, recently finished a self-portrait made out of 32,000 postage stamps, and plans to create a giant Miles Davis tribute out of 1,000 donated trumpets. He’s always looking ahead to the next piece of art he can create.

“I’m highly driven. I want to put out world-class art. I try to do the best work I possibly can. Is there any polite way to say you want to be rich and famous?” Snider laughed. “There’s not. But you know what? I want to make unbelievably wondrous pieces of art, and I want to be able to have enough money to make another piece of wondrous art.”

Growing up, Snider was always interested in art. When he moved to Alton, he started volunteering at Jacoby Arts Center and offered custom framing.

He also became fascinated by the Mississippi River and the driftwood that would wash up after floods. Soon, Snider began making artwork out of the driftwood.

“It’s just amazing how much there is,” he said. “It’s a never-ending sea of free stuff floating by.”

Snider’s process has shifted over the years. These days, he loves creating large-scale mixed media collages and sculptures. As his interests and access to materials change, so does his art.

“Part of my process for art is making things out of things that are already cool,” he explained. “It’s a combination of what inspires me, what I find interesting, what I find cool, and what materials I may have.”

This philosophy guides much of Snider’s artwork. He is currently collecting broken black and white guitars so he can make a 30-foot keyboard out of them. He’s also in search of old projectors and radios, and earlier this year, he put out the call for 1,000 trumpets with plans to create a giant trumpet sculpture as a tribute to Alton’s own Miles Davis.

As Snider continues his quest for materials, his inspiration never falters. He has big plans for his work going forward and hopes to continue building a name for himself in Alton and the St. Louis region. He explained that there’s no quitting in his line of work; his passion for what he does is too strong.

“I made the deal at the crossroads,” he concluded. “I have a dream and I have a passion and I decided to dedicate my life to the pursuit of art. So it doesn’t really matter; I’ll just keep doing it forever. I feel like that’s the deal you have to make. Like the blues singers would say, you have to make that deal if you want a shot.”

For more information about Michael “Kooliverse” Snider, visit his official Facebook page.