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AshleyBrookSmith
November18,2013
Feature Writing- Dr.Bond
Art Againstthe World
Art isa powerful tool. Itisthe earliestrecordfromprimitive civilizationandsomethingthatwill
live onlongafterthiscivilization. Everythinginthe worldmakesadifference orchangesit. Cuttinga
piece of paperaltersitsfuture forever. Makingthe paperintoa songchangesits use. Singingthe song
off of the paperchangesthe world. JefferyBrewerdoesn’tagree,buthe doesn’tunderstand. Of
course,inadditiontohisschool of humor he couldhave takena class on modestywhichisthe opposite
of the impacthe has made in thisworldeitherdirectlyorindirectly.
“Hi my name isJeffie”isthe understatementof the century.
Brewersaid, “We are givena brief amountof time together. As an artist, I consider it a gift to be
able to share my visionandexperience. Sometimes it’s serious, sometimes it’s thoughtful and a
lotof time it’sjustsilly. The sharedexperience of existing,living,loving,thinking…seeing beauty,
knowingfear,feelingpassionandjustbeingisfurthermagnified through art-creating, discussing,
collaborating,learningandteaching,I have been privileged to have great mentors, teachers and
friends to continue to share this with a new generation of artists, students and viewers is
fantastic.”
Learninghowto spotthe beautyinthe mundane issomethingBrewersaidhe learnedatayoungage.
He begandrawingasa youngchild andhe begandtospot beautyin hisparentseccentricjunkyardin
East Texas. Brewerhasa BFA in drawing,print-makingandjewelrymakingfromSamHoustonState
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University;he earnedanMA insculpture andpaintingandan MFA insculpture andmetalsfromStephen
F. Austin State University. He hastaught art classesat StephenF.Austin State University,Angelina
College andUniversityof TexasatTyler.
“I create for the same reasonthe cavemandid. I am a caveman,”he said. Brewermethiswife,Angie,in
graduate school at SFA in 1992. He hasusedhistalentsas ownerof a graphic designandsign
productioncompanyname GorillaGraphicsfrom 1994-1996 and workedasan illustratoranddesigner
for hiswive’sfirm,PointA Media,from1999 to presentandas a founderandpresidentof adesignand
fabricationcompanycalledOrange Cat,Inc.from2002 to present. Inadditiontohisenormousresume
and impressivelymatchedwife,he hasalsodesigned,fabricatedandbuilthisownhome.
Brewerhasbecome synonymouswithartandhas a large portfoliotoprove it. A bunnyisno longera
bunnyinBrewerville. In life youhave yourwhose-its,yourSnause BerryTrees,yourWildThingsandyes
evenyourbunnieswhethertheyare portrayedasrabidin“Let’sMake Art” t-shirtsforthe Art Alliance
whichcan coincidentallybe boughtfor $8 in supportof art to the giantmetal sculpture somewhereis
someone’s backyardBrewerhasmade sillylucrative formore thanhimself.
Brewersaidhe began to wonderone daywhyhe wasonlymakingart for the “.01 percentof the
population,”byKimFoli of The DailySentinel. “Iwantedtomake art that wouldappeal toa 4-year-old,
my redneckfamily,the artworldandthe other99.9 percent,”he said. In additiontoaward winning
bunniesbeingplacedinvariousstates,he hasmade a majorimpactin the backyardof SFA.
“Void”isa large sunflowerBrewerbuilttocommemorate SarahHopkinswhodied at21 and wasa
formerstudent. There are 21 petalsonthe sunflowerandinrepresentationof her age. The sunflower
issaid to be herfavorite flower. Noworld-changinghumanitarianthere. Speakingof worldchanging
humanitarian,Brewerneverceasestoamaze withhisunconsciousworldchangingartinfluence. A
studentof his,KaitlynPorterfield, justwonalogocompetitioninsupportof Bulamula,Tanzania.
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Bulamula? The school isdonatinga logoand promotional materialsinhopestoendhungerandpoverty.
The winninglogoreads,“A BrightFuture for Bulamula”andisset ontop of mountainswithasetting
sun. Theirgoal isto helpmore familiesbecome more self-sustaining,enablingfamiliestohave better
healthcare,educationandshelters. The proposedinterventionistoprovide chickensandall the
materialsnecessarytoraise andmaintain them. Theirgoal is to raise $1,500 perfamilyanddo so for50
familiesmakingthe total amountof fundsnecessary $75,000. They alsoplanto provide educationand
resourcesonhowto raise and keepthe chickenshealthy. Thiscause wasbroughtto Brewersattention
by Ms. Monsignorwhoworkswithboththe CatholicChurchandSFA’sArt department. SisterJosephina
Mwolekabroughtitto the CatholicChurchesattention (tanzaniaproject.sfasu.gmail.com).
Brewerisa lot,has done a lot andhas impacted more thanboth of those. He isa real problem
solverandconnectsacross the disciplines,whichisincrediblyuseful foraschool of our scale,” Sadi
LindaPost, SFA Professorof Digital Media.
Graduate student,StinaHerrera,hasknownBrewerfortwo years. Herrera,while notbeinghis student
said,“He will alwaysgive youandhonestopinion.”
Anotherstudent Kyle Rogers, whohastakenclasseswithBrewer said, “All of hisartwork issomething
anyone can lookat and enjoy.” InRogers’s eyesBrewerhascontributedtohisdevelopmentalot,he
saidthat takinghisclassand knowinghimasa personhashelpedhimtoloosenup.
Meghan Marcantel,a graduate student said,“Jeffie’s influence transcendsthe class room’s general
consensus.” Marcantel citesspecificallythe Hopkinsmemorial,“Void.”
“Lucky Jeff, poorotherguy,”Brewerexclaimsincomparinghimselftoanartist whocouldn’taffordto
go to college,butlaughinglyadmitstowelcominghomelessPicassos. Porterfield,inreference toher
experience withBrewer’sclass said,“Thisopportunityhasallowedme touse somethingI’mpassionate
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aboutto trulyhelpothers,whichIwould’ve nevertrulyimaginedIwouldbe doingsoearlyinmyartistic
career.” Brewerexclaimsthatthere are differentlevelstoartfromhighendgalleriestohomeless
people. The ArtAlliance isespeciallyusefulinhelpingthe nextgenerationof artist’sservice projectsto
helpgetart out of the community. Brewerstatesthathimasa humanisthe same as beinganartist. “I
am all for helpinganyone whowants togetinvolved,”statesBrewer. Inthisworlditseemsthere are
too manyproblemsandtoolittle artiststosolve them.
In conclusion,whetheritisfroma bunnyinColoradoto a “KingCrow” inthe Mast Arboretumor
a bunnyon a charity benefits T-shirt,Brewerdefinitelyhashandprintsinthe sidewalk. Brewerbelieves
that art cannot fairlybe putintoboxesandmost creative peopleare goingtobe,justthat. Art issaidby
Brewerto create problem-solvingskillswhichcanbe transferredintoanything.
Brewerclaimstobe eccentricanddisplayshimself assuch. Teachingishispassionandhe evenworks
for free. Inadditiontodonationsinmemoryof loststudents ,charityfund-raisinglogosanddogparkart
he also doesfree workwiththe theatre andcommunity. Brewerisbestexemplifiedinthe time he
didn’thave hishomeworkanddrewapicture fromwhat he was supposedtobe discussingonanapkin
instead. He has neverbeenconcerned withgradesandif he had hiswayschool wouldbe pass/fail.
“I’m not curingCancer,I am makingsome sillyart,” saidBrewerinmodesty. NothingsumsupBrewer
betterthana charmingmiddle -gedmanplayingatinyguitarinan office withlarge pieces of abstractart
on the walls. Hissize isas large as the statementhisart makesandone can’t helpbutbe impressed.
The way we change the worldcan be separatedintotwocategories,one isatrightand leftturnswhile
the otheris a permanentimpact. Apparentlyyoucantake the countryout of the artist, butnot the art
and thankGod.
