Ed Brandt

About

Bio

I am an educator, graphic designer, and artist living in southwest New Mexico. Originally from Chicago, I received a BA from Lewis University with concentrations in both fine art and graphic design. After graduation, I began a career as a graphic designer and, five years later, founded an independent studio that served clients from diverse industries nationwide. I later returned to school to pursue a graduate degree in the fine arts and earned an MFA from The University of New Mexico, with a focus in painting and drawing. With over thirty years of professional design experience and more than ten as an educator, I currently serve as Associate Professor of Graphic Design at Western New Mexico University, where I developed the graphic design program within the Department of Expressive Arts.

My studio practice is informed by both graphic design and fine art, reflective of an ongoing dialogue in which I seek a balanced relationship between the two. My work acknowledges that both forms of creative making share commonalities in formal and personal expression, engaging viewers through design as well as narrative. I am guided by influences of visual communication and the designed environments we inhabit, seeking ways to share personal, reflective experience through a designer’s vocabulary. Within this context, I explore various means of expression that reconsider the boundaries of creative practice.

Artist Statement

Design is defined by clarity and purpose. It is deliberate and systematic. It responds to need by offering solutions and communicating with clear intent. It is guided by principles that support both mundane function and conceptual ambition. Design appeals to taste, culture, and desire, appreciated not just for how it performs but for how it reflects personal values.

My work questions this definition of design and challenges the perceived boundary that separates it from fine art. Though not rooted in personal narrative or creative expression, design can occupy a space less resolved than the definition suggests. It is a space that can be emotional, interpretive, and reflective. It can evoke feeling, elicit memory, and draw upon nostalgia. It can challenge perception, offer moments of reflection, and broaden perspective. These qualities, often associated with fine art, are not absent from design, but are expressed through different means and expectations.

I use the structure, language, and tools of graphic design to explore how design might be seen through a different lens, one that expands its definition and aligns it more closely with art. My aim is not to provide solutions, but to create moments that allow for personal interpretation and dialogue. It is a process of reconsidering what form, function, and meaning can be. I invite viewers to see design not only as purpose and artifact, but as an experience of introspective inquiry.

Gallery photo of Temporal Arrangement exhibit
Temporal Arrangement, 2019
WNMU gallery photo of Present Space exhibit
Present Space, WNMU, 2024

Curriculum Vitae

Education

  • 2017: Master of Fine Arts, Painting and Drawing, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
  • 1994: Bachelor of Arts, Concentrations in Painting and Drawing and Graphic Design, Lewis University, Romeoville, IL

Academic Appointments

  • 2020–Present: Assistant Professor, Graphic Design, Department of Expressive Arts, Western New Mexico University, Silver City, NM
  • 2018–2020: Professor of Practice, Graphic Design, Department of Art, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
  • 2018: Adjunct Lecturer, Creative Design Thinking, Department of Cinematic Arts, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
  • 2018: Adjunct Lecturer, Visual Design Exploration, Department of Cinematic Arts, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
  • 2014–2017: Graduate Teaching Assistant (Instructor of Record), Painting and Drawing, Department of Art and Art History, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
  • 2011–2017: Instructor, Digital Arts, The University of New Mexico Continuing Education, Albuquerque, NM
  • 1997–1998: Adjunct Professor, Painting, Department of Art and Design, Lewis University, Romeoville, IL

Professional Practice

  • 2012–Present: Independent Graphic Designer and Consultant, Silver City, NM
  • 1999–2012: Owner, Square 15 Inc., Albuquerque, NM
  • 1994–1999: Art Department Assistant Manager, Graphic Designer, IT Manager, The Forms Group, Itasca, IL

Solo And Two-Person Exhibitions

  • 2024: Present Space, Southeastern Community College, Burlington, IA
  • 2019: Temporal Arrangement, Chiaroscuro Contemporary Art, Santa Fe, NM
  • 2017: Palimpsest, CFA Downtown Studio, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
  • 2014: Selected Works, Winning Coffee Co., Albuquerque, NM
  • 2009: Duality, KiMo Theatre Art Gallery, Albuquerque, NM
  • 2006: Recent Works, Frutchey Gallery, Albuquerque, NM

Exhibitions

  • 2023: WNMU Faculty Biennial Exhibition, Francis McCray Gallery, Silver City, NM
  • 2021: WNMU Faculty Biennial Exhibition, Francis McCray Gallery, Silver City, NM
  • 2017: Journey: Here and Onward, Norbertine Community of Santa Maria de la Vid Abbey Juried Exhibitions, Albuquerque, NM
  • 2017: Salon des Refusés, Masley Art Gallery, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
  • 2016: Verge: Shaping the Photograph, John Sommers Gallery, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
  • 2016: Excavated, Tamarind Institute, Albuquerque, NM
  • 2016: ARTE Juried Exhibit, Masley Art Gallery, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
  • 2015: Connectivity: The 21st Annual Juried Graduate Exhibition, Clinton Adams Gallery, UNM Art Museum, Albuquerque, NM
  • 2014: At First Sight, SCA Contemporary Art, Albuquerque, NM
  • 2013: President’s 5th Annual Art Show, Lewis University, Romeoville, IL
  • 2011: The Rail Yard Exhibit, KiMo Theatre Art Gallery, Albuquerque, NM
  • 2008: The Eyes Have It Group Show, South Broadway Cultural Center, Albuquerque, NM
  • 2007: Recent Works Exhibit, The Johnson’s of Madrid Galleries of Fine and Fiber Art, Madrid, NM
  • 2007: The Eyes Have It Group Show, EXPO New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
  • 2006: The Eyes Have It Group Show, EXPO New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
  • 2006: The Eyes Have It Group Show, Arts Alliance Gallery, Albuquerque, NM

Commissions

  • 1997: Health Care At Home, Hinsdale, IL. Oil on canvas, 24 × 36 inches

Presentations and Lectures

  • 2015: M2: Meeting of the Minds, Presentation and Discussion, UNM Art Museum, Albuquerque, NM

University Service

  • 2020–Present: Committee Member, multiple academic and departmental committees, Western New Mexico University, Silver City, NM
  • 2019–2020: Faculty Advisor, Graduate Art Association, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
  • 2018–2019: Committee Member, Graphic Design and Promotion — Art90: Department of Art 90th Anniversary Event, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
  • 2015–2016: Vice President (Volunteer), Graduate Art Association, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM

Professional Service

  • 2021: Juror, Creatures of the Gila, Grant County Art Guild, Silver City, NM

Bibliography

  • Jennifer Olson. “Meet Ed Brandt: Q&A.” Westerner, 2022.
  • Nancy Zastudil. “Open Operation.” Foreword, Palimpsest Graduate Exhibition Catalogue, 2017.
  • Kelly Koepke. “Art Buzz.” Local Flavor Magazine, localflavormagazine.com, May 2, 2016.
  • James K. Ballinger. “Connectivity.” Foreword, The 21st Annual Juried Graduate Exhibition Catalogue, 2015.
  • David Blanchet. Logopond: Identity Inspiration, Vol. 1, p. 109. Logopond Publishing, 2012.

Collections

  • Southeastern Community College, IA
  • The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
  • Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
  • Lewis University, Romeoville, IL

Proficiencies

  • Education: Experienced in curriculum development and instruction across studio, lab, and online environments. Committed to fostering critical and creative thinking through diverse media and pedagogical approaches.
  • Graphic Design: Deeply rooted in design thinking, with expertise in visual identity, print, packaging, and web/interface design. Skilled in concept development, production workflows, and contemporary tools.
  • Fine Art: Maintains an interdisciplinary studio practice that draws from painting, mixed media, and design. Engages with formal, conceptual, and narrative themes through material exploration and exhibition.