Alumni Spotlight: Spencer Garland '19

Thanks to BRENDA ARTS, young people of color (POC) get to see the world through a different lens – one of their own making. The unique program offers elementary and high-school students a multifaceted perspective, shining light on Black artists throughout history and inspiring students to shape their present and future through art.

Founder Spencer Garland (‘19) stages the after-school workshops to spur awareness, introspection and artistic expression.

“This work is important because the contributions of black people have been left out of education and our collective history for hundreds of years,” Garland asserts. “I want to give kids a big knowledge base so they can continue research on their own and teach them to appreciate themselves in a way I didn’t get growing up. I help unlock their notions of what black art can and will be.”

Creative Intersections

Named after Garland’s mother, BRENDA ARTS is a Portland, Ore.-based program launched in 2019 that operates in conjunction with the Portland Art Museum (PAM), KairosPDX, N.M. Bodecker Foundation, and KSMOCA/MLK Jr. Elementary. The organization is volunteer-staffed by six PSU alumni who Garland met while receiving his B.A. at the PSU School of Film.

BRENDA ARTS is based on Garland’s integrated approach. “I see all disciplines of art – film, music, architecture, graphic design, fashion, etc. – as interconnected, and I show kids the roles Black artists played in these fields,” Garland says. “I’m basically a history teacher whose homework is art.”

For example, one after-school workshop highlighted Black skateboarders of all genders. Then Garland gave students skateboard decks to personalize. Another workshop examined how Black streetwear from the ’80s and ’90s informs what people wear today, and Garland had students create their own school uniform.

Visual Manifestation

Garland also started a TV show, BRENDA LAB, through his film studio, lonervision. The TV episodes investigate POC narratives, question current media and explore the topic of “afrofuturism.”

“Afrofuturism is a term for examining how black culture has been in the past and where it can go in the future. It helps us combat the inherent racism within technology,” Garland explains. “In the show, I adventure around in an imaginary 3-D universe I designed and talk about Black influences in everything from horror films and hair to sneaker culture and indie rockstars.”

To keep the show interactive, Garland displays kids’ artwork and invites viewers to send him their art. In collaboration with PAM, Garland will pitch BRENDA LAB to Hollywood executives in the near future.

Always striving for improvement, Garland says he’s constantly thinking about making art, reaching people and helping kids realize their dreams. 

“I’m a pioneer of a lot of different things at the same time, and I’m glad I have friends to help me make things happen,” Garland says. “My job is largely to think and play around. And through BRENDA ARTS, I help kids manifest their creative ideas in the real-world. Seeing their art is one my greatest joys.”