A. Matthews bronze art featuring jazz musicians Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Dizzie Gillespie, and more. Other bronze sculptures, jazz art, and jazz collectibles are featured as well.

The inspiration for Matthews' body of work honoring musicians was Louis Hottot (1834-1905), a French artist whose sculptures he had long admired. As a collector, he fell in love with and eventually acquired one of Hottot's terra cotta sculptures, a banjo player, which had been cast by Goldscheider in the late 1800's. With fevered inspiration, he produced Banjo Man as a tribute to this fine artist. Matthews often imagined what other pieces Hottot might have done with the same theme, and created his most well known pieces with those thoughts in mind, leading to the original suite of Banjo Man, Fiddler, Saxophonist, Trumpeter, and Slide Trombonist. In addition to his recognition of the mastery of Louis Hottot, these minstrels serve as Matthews' tribute to the black contribution to America's music culture.

Matthews has expanded that series with tributes to modern jazz musicians, releasing Hot Horn based on Dizzy Gillespie, Final Ovation based on Miles Davis, and Sizzlin' Sax based on Charlie Parker.

A. Matthews is an entrepreneur, world traveler, thrill seeker, art lover, champion race car driver, treasure hunter, and collector. Born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Matthews spent his early childhood playing with black children at the tobacco warehouses, while his father sorted and sold tobacco. After relocating to California, Matthews, a current resident of Challis, Idaho, found fame and fortune as a diamond importer, jewelry designer and manufacturer.

Matthews was instructed in wood sculpture and sold numerous pieces of his art at an early age; however, he credits his mother with developing his interest in working with clay when he was nine years old. it was her hobby and they had a potter's wheel and kiln in their home. Matthews received instruction in sculpting and assistance with the design of his minstrels by his mentor, D.A. Russo, former protégé of Pablo Picasso, who gave Matthews some of Picasso's sculpting tools.

Matthews' work has been influenced by fond memories from his childhood in North Carolina. He recalls the black workers relaxing with their music and drink at the end of their long work week. The essence of that wonderful spirit has been captured in his sculptures. With Matthews direction, the foundry has achieved exactly the patina he required for this effect.

Matthews has been awarded the Bronze Award, Art of California magazine "Discovery Awards" in 1992 and the People's Choice Award, Wallowa Valley Festival of Arts in 1994.