Derek Brueckner

Derek Brueckner is an Instructor 2 (mapped to Lecturer) at the School of Art, University of Manitoba, where he teaches drawing, painting, video, and digital media. As a visual artist, his practice centers on socially collaborative performances and multi-disciplinary explorations of the human figure through improvisation and facilitated play.

Education:

• BFA Honours, University of Manitoba
• MFA, Hunter College, City University of New York

Research Interests:

Brueckner's work operates as live public laboratories where performers engage in unscripted interactions, adapting to contexts beyond their own creative frameworks. Using video, drawing, painting, and live projections, he documents the labor of making while highlighting social dynamics and collective expression. His projects unify diverse contributions of thinking and embodiment through collaborative experimentation.

Grants and Professional Activities:

• Manitoba Arts Council
• Winnipeg Arts Council
• Vermont Studio Center

He co-hosts the radio show Eat Your Arts & Vegetables on CKUW 95.9 FM, featuring artists and cultural workers from local to international contexts.

Exhibitions and Residencies:

His solo exhibitions and participatory projects have been presented in Brooklyn, Queens, and New Orleans. Residencies include Italy, Vermont, Brooklyn, New Orleans, and Toronto, with media coverage in Globe & Mail, Border Crossings, and OffBeat Magazine.