Beckett Brueggemann
Supervising Practitioner Bianca Hegre at the Cambridge Rindge And Latin School
Beckett is a fibers and installation artist passionate about nurturing the next generation of artists.
He processes the world through science fiction and world-making, creating soft realities wherein viewers are invited to "be" and indulge in healing rest.
Teaching Philosophy
I believe in fostering an interdisciplinary visual arts curriculum. Learning in the arts has a lasting impact on a student’s life, both in and out of the art room. Learning to make connections across the curriculum and to one’s own experiences is one of the greatest benefits of the arts. Afterall, what is the difference between an artist and a scientist? Both define and redefine our understandings of the world around us. Both conduct research and both conduct experiments. Both artists and scientists must be able to imagine, problem solve, reimagine, adjust plans, and actively engage with observation. Art teaches both artists and scientists alike the observation skills that allow them to see and consider different viewpoints. Understanding multiple perspectives allows us to think expansively and creatively about the topics we are approaching.
To achieve this space, I believe in a research-oriented classroom grounded in contemporary practices. An art curriculum should include space for students to dictate their own learning because the art room is where students are inherently meant to investigate, be curious, and experiment with both subject matter and materials. Whether they wish to focus on craft or on meaning, students have ideas that should be welcomed in the art room. As a facilitator of student learning, I believe in supporting students’ needs and guiding them in their research, planning, and making so that they may reach their own goals. Whether or not the project has an overarching theme, the physical implementation should allow for self choice and self-expression for students to control their own learning in materials, processes, and planning. Because of this, it is important that students are treated as and recognized as artists. They must be taken seriously in their endeavors and encouraged in their explorations.
As the field of art is grounded in the self, whether or not our artwork is intentionally based around ideas of the self, I believe in fostering a healthy, intersectional, and diverse community for young artists to thrive. I believe in showcasing artist role models and artworks that are not only reflective of the classroom community, but that expand our thinking of who the artist can be and where the artwork can exist. The art room is open to everyone and actively creates space for each individual to become part of a larger community.
Unit Plan
Interwoven Making: The Intersections Between Art and Science
Art takes inspiration from the world around us. There are many ways to implement research into making. Research can manifest expansively, and, as artists, we can push the boundaries of how we engage with research. This research will help us to project plan, utilizing outside references from the sciences. We will find connections and overlaps between art making and other subjects, learning and implementing making skills that will translate ideas to projects. We will see how we can engage with the scientific method in art making, reviewing the overlaps of science and art making.
Student Artwork
