Art grew up in Pasadena, Maryland, and began to exhibit an interest in storytelling at an early age. From writing short stories and drawing comics in school, to programming story-driven games in QBasic, he was always fascinated with stories and entertaining people. As Art entered middle school, he took the family VHS camera and began making stop-motion films with his toys and short films with his neighborhood friends playing the roles. It was not until he was cast in a high school production of "It's a Wonderful Life" that he discovered his love of theatre. After that show, Art went on to appear in nearly every production at Chesapeake High until his graduation. At the University of Maryland, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Performance and appeared in numerous Theatre Department productions including "The Crucible", "SubUrbia", "Our Town", "Scapin", and "Standing on My Knees".
