When he is not working as the Public Arts & Humanities Chair for UNC Asheville, in the Asheville community or assisting with STEAM Studio projects such as WAKE by Mel Chin (2018), Brent is focused on mentorship and community work focused on social change through collaborative making. He has been teaching in many capacities for 30 years at universities and many of the craft programs across the nation such as Penland, Arrowmont, Haystack, Anderson Ranch and Peter’s Valley. You can check out his active studio practice at brentskidmore.com. In 2007, Brent accepted his current position at UNC Asheville where he continues to teach in the department of Art and Art History while collaborating with his peers in Engineering and Art to develop STEAM Studio @ the RAMP, a 12,000 square foot fabrication and design lab built for interdisciplinary teams focused on collaboration and innovation.
Brent continues to serve as an advocate for craft education, scholarship, and the professional development of young artists. From 2007 to 2015, Brent served as a board member for the Center for Craft, Creativity and Design, an organization 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 (2007-2014), CERF+ in Montpelier, VT that works to safeguard and sustain the careers of craft artists and provides emergency resources that benefit all artists. Along with his work to advance the understanding and power of craft, community collaborations and cross-disciplinary making, Brent has most recently worked collaboratively to build financial support for SkillSet at STEAM Studio. He has also served as a board member and now consulting partner to Journeymen Asheville, a mentoring organization for 12 to 17 yr. old boys, to develop Crafting Passages at STEAM Studio. Brent is also an active grateful member of the Greater Asheville Mankind Project and he has recently entered training for Advance Care Directives, Home Funerals, Green Burials and Death Care Midwifery at the Center for End of Life Transitions.
