Meet Jeffie Brewer | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jeffie Brewer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jeffie, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I grew up in a small town in East Texas, my father owned a scrap/junkyard. It was the ’70s-’80s just before technology made us all dead-eyed zombies. Being an only child and living in the country surrounded by something as visually rich as piles of metal and stacks of old cars I don’t think I had much of a choice but to be an artist. I was drawn to the clean lines of mid-century design (albeit someone else’s abandoned stuff). So many 1940-50’s cars came through only to be disassembled, crushed, and discarded. I would pop off the hood ornaments, I had a huge pile of them. Smooth clean sexy lines – I had no idea what they were for or why I wanted them. I just knew they were beautiful.

I learned about welding, cutting and bending metal, hydraulics, heavy machinery, and so much more. Add that skill set to the need to make everyone laugh and – BOOM – Jeffie.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Right out of undergraduate school I started making signs and one day I was putting up a billboard – it was rainy and cold and there were powerlines and the billboard was impossible to get to. It required ladders on buildings and it all was very sketchy (not OSHA safe). I had an epiphany up there that I wanted to be a teacher. I climbed down and the next day I applied to graduate school. Two weeks later I was a TA in a jewelry class. I went on to teach and be a professor for 20 years. I always struggled with being an artist and an academic. For me, I couldn’t do both. Either I was a good teacher or a good artist. Some years a would push the art to the side to focus on being a better educator and other years I would do the opposite. In the past ten years, the market made the choice for me – people dig my stuff so now I’m just an artist. I do not miss academia but once in a while I miss teaching… but not that much. I will say that I am very privileged to get to make things and that people enjoy them – it’s a very lucky life.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My studio is pretty far southeast of the metroplex. I show at galleries in Dallas and Ft. Worth and have public art all over the area but I am a hermit. My studio is 100 yards from my house and my pool is 15 feet from my door. I only go to openings and events when I’m threatened.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I was fortunate enough to have so many outstanding encouraging teachers who should be the choice but no. Parents could make the list – they never once said “you can’t be an artist” but again no. So many artist friends and mentors that gave feedback, support, and love… again no.

I have been with my wife for well over half my life. She is the real deal, my biggest supporter, my best critic, my cheerleader, my bookkeeper, my PR director, and generally my proofreader (but not for this, so forgive the run-ons and poor grammar). We met in undergrad at the art department – she’s a better artist than me by far. I trust her eyes on my work more than my own sometimes. She saved me from impending doom and is the joy in my work.

Angie is her name if you need that.

Website: www.jeffiebrewer.com

Instagram: instagram.com/jeffie_brewer/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeffiebrewer/