Conversations in Context invited leaders from creative fields to reflect on the site’s past, present, and future, and to contribute their perspectives on the Glass House and its significance to contemporary debates.

Peter Brant is an avid collector and advocate for the arts, as well as the founder and president of The Brant Foundation, Inc. located in Greenwich, CT.  Mr. Brant’s interest in art was first sparked as a young child by his father, Murray Brant, a collector of French rococo paintings. Mr. Brant started his own collection with the purchase of two Warhols and a Franz Kline as a college student. Since then, Mr. Brant has slowly amassed a large and expansive collection which is primarily focused on the work of contemporary American artists.  Through the creation of The Brant Foundation, Inc. and The Brant Foundation Art Study Center, Mr. Brant hopes to give back to the community by promoting education and appreciation of contemporary art and design — perhaps inspiring the next would-be artist, teacher or casual art enthusiast. The Brant Foundation Art Study Center opened in May 2009 in a former stone fruit barn which was converted into gallery space by noted architect Richard Gluckman.  The inaugural exhibition was titled, “Remembering Henry’s Show: Selected Works 1978 – 2008.” Since that time, exhibits have featured works by artists Urs Fischer, Josh Smith, David Altmejd, Karen Kilimnik, and Nate Lowman. Mr. Brant is a member of the board of trustees of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles and is a member of the advisory council of The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh.  In addition, Mr. Brant is a member of the chairman’s council of The Museum of Modern Art, and serves on the art advisory board at Hunter College, New York, NY, and is a former trustee of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation. Mr. Brant’s interest in the arts also extends to film: he was executive producer of several successful films examining the lives of important artists of the twentieth century:  “BASQUIAT” in 1986, “POLLOCK” in 2000, and along with PBS, “ANDY WARHOL: A DOCUMENTARY” in 2006, winner of the 2006 Peabody Award and an Emmy Award. In 2013, Mr. Brant was awarded an American Art Award by the Whitney Museum of American Art for his commitment to the arts.

The 2013 season of Conversations in Context was generously supported by Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope^®  

Additional support was kindly provided by Nat and Lucy Day.

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