Glitter & Razz presents…Martin Brecht
"Please use nice words about your art because art has feelings too." -Martin to a 6 year old boy
I am delighted and honored to introduce you to our new visual art teacher, Martin Brecht. Martin is an experienced educator, artist, and soccer fanatic originating from Pittsburgh, PA. He began working with us for our summer camps 2009 after relocating from Brooklyn, NY. He completed a New York City Teaching Fellowship in 2006, earning a master’s degree in Urban Education while teaching art at Public School 94 in the Lower East Side to students with autism and emotional disabilities. Currently, Martin works at Malcolm X Elementary School in Berkeley and volunteers any spare time coaching soccer at Oakland International High School with Soccer Without Borders.
Martin is a priceless addition to our Glitter & Razz family! He will be teaching our first ever Magic Messes classes (for ages 4-10) on Saturday mornings at Glitter & Razz starting Oct 3. He will also be leading a special 2-day workshop called Living Murals where elementary school-aged kids will tell their own visual stories of the Bay Area on the back wall of the Glitter & Razz stage!
What does Martin have to say for himself?
What made you want to become an artist?
In college I had to choose a major and my favorite class was art history. The next semester I signed up for Studio Art 101, declared my major, and committed to living the life of an artist. Additionally, my father was an art major in college but couldn’t finish and in some ways I felt like I was picking up where he left off.
Describe your art.
My paintings, printmaking, drawings, and murals are inspired by my work in arts education. I had little training before college so in many ways I learned about art by teaching it. After four years of teaching children with autism and emotional disabilities in one of New York City’s “persistently dangerous schools”, my art became chaotic, abstract, and colorfully obsessive. I feel I am at my best when I creatively combine a variety of mediums with the help of collage or digital technology.
Why is it important to you to work with children doing art?
I am lost as an artist without an art teaching gig. Most of my inspiration comes from working with children. Their experience of art is so raw and uncorrupted. Giving up on their dreams hasn’t even occurred to them yet and I make it habit to surround myself with people like this, no matter the age!
What made you want to work for Glitter & Razz?
I am learning to design and paint murals so making set designs for plays seemed like good practice. I also never went to summer camp as a child because my mom is a teacher and my sisters, brother, and I spent the summer with her at home. Part of me thought it would be fun to finally go!
Why do you like working as a teaching artist at Glitter & Razz?
I enjoy the endless creativity that comes with each group of campers. I also value the supportive, collaborative work environment that exists at Glitter & Razz. I am thrilled to be around such positive energy on a daily basis.
What’s next on your journey as a teaching artist?
First, I plan on formalizing our individual Magic Messes projects into more of a comprehensive curriculum for Glitter & Razz- oh and did I mention- I plan on teaching it! Next, I am coordinating a trip to Guatemala for the Spring to teach art and soccer to an indigenous Mayan community through a non-profit I volunteer with, Soccer Without Borders.
Anything else we should know?
Believe me (I am a teacher), I could go on and on….
[...] Magic Messes (our art class), Martin Brecht dove right in with having each kid create their own story books. They talked about how books [...]