- About
Brent now serves as Assistant Professor of Art and Director of Craft Studies at UNC Asheville. He received his MFA in Sculpture from Indiana University in 1990 and a BFA in Sculpture from Murray State University in 1987.
While Brent’s background is in sculpture he primarily makes studio furniture these days when he is not directing the Craft Studies programming at UNC Asheville and in the Asheville community. He has been teaching in many capacities for 25 years at universities and many of the craft programs across the nation such as Penland, Arrowmont, Anderson Ranch and Peter’s Valley. After being out on his own running Brent Skidmore Studio for 8 years, he returned in 2004 to fulltime teaching at Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In 2007, Brent accepted his current position at UNC Asheville where he continues to teach in the department of Art and Art History. His work and processes are included in a Lark Publication entitled “The Penland Book of Woodworking”. He has shown his work extensively across the nation, Finland and most recently internationally in Dubai, UAE. Exhibitions of Brent’s personal work have included the Smithsonian Craft Show and SOFA-Chicago. The work of Brent’s students has been included in the American Craft Council show in Baltimore and the International Exhibition of Office Furniture in Dubai. Many of Brent’s students have received some of the highest honors given to new makers. Along with his commitment to his family, bike riding, hiking, studio work and educational positions he serves as an advocate for craft education, scholarship, and the professional development of young artist. Brent has served as a board member for the Center for Craft, Creativity and Design, located in Asheville, NC, that works to advance the awareness and importance of craft in academia and the mainstream. He has also served as a board member for Craft Emergency Relief Fund, CERF+ in Montpelier, VT that works to safeguard and sustain the careers of craft artists and provides emergency resources that benefit all artists. He has had 11 Solo exhibitions, been in 90 Invitational shows, 70 plus Group exhibitions and won many awards. The largest of which being the highest award given to a North Carolina artist that he had to return as he left NC and headed to Michigan to teach again after a long period as a fulltime studio artist. That’s right, he had to return an $8000 award to teach again. Lastly, Brent has received well over 350 rejection letters and his most recent one arrived this morning just after being accepted to another exhibition making his total rejection still win over his total acceptance. You may ask, “why, does he keep doing it”?
- Region
- Asheville, NC
- Website
- www.brentskidmore.com
- Media
- Wood
- Professional Status
- College university
- Status
- Member until Apr 24, 2023