Brent is a teaching artist at Brimmer, teaching Art, Drawing, Painting, Printmaking, Photography, Sculpture, and Ceramics. He believes in using the arts to communicate between cultures and his teaching builds on his experiences of creating art and getting his students to understand the process of making. Brent’s arts philosophy is rooted in observation: the key to understanding and practicing art. For him, seeing the world around us enables us to create and imagine; a framework that will help students tap into their innate abilities of observation and imagination to expand their visual horizons.
Brent’s arts experience ranges from working for museums, galleries, and design firms as an attendant, designer, archivist, art handler, restorer, and photographer. Originally from Flint, Mich., Brent spent a decade working in New York City as an artist before moving to Glasgow, Scotland, to pursue his master’s degree. Before joining the Brimmer community in 2015, Brent taught a variety of visual arts in the Boston area, including painting and drawing at the Minuteman Summer Program in Lexington. As a teaching artist, he continues to explore and exhibit his work of painting and a variety of artistic media and approaches.
Brimmer’s global focus offers Brent a chance to approach programming through exploration—connecting culture, history, and artistic thinking to prepare the student to visually interact with the contemporary world. He appreciates the opportunities Brimmer provides to teach a vibrant arts education using all media: drawing, painting, sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, and photography.
Brent holds a Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure certification, is a member of the Massachusetts Art Educator Association, and serves as a painting faculty member for the New Art Center in Newton. He has received a number of awards and recognitions, including a Merit Award Scholarship from the Vermont Studio Center and arts awards from the Michigan State University Arts Department.
When Brent is not in his studio honing his own skills in painting, drawing, and photography, he visits local art museums and galleries and maintains a website for his work. When he travels and there is an art show in the area, chances are he has stopped in to see it. He also enjoys skiing, golfing, and fishing with his family.