BIO

Personal Profile

BRECKEN RIVARA

Brecken Rivara started her professional art career at age 13, when she was routinely commissioned to do portraits of customers from her father’s Italian restaurant. She developed this innate talent at the Maryland Institute College of Art, where she earned her BFA in 2007.

While by now her portrait have gained the attention of prominent community leaders like Alphonso David of the Human Rights Campaign and City Commissioner Paul Ryan, she has also been a commercial artist, designing and painting murals at small and large businesses throughout the East Coast.

From 2017-2018, she was the lead artist and event host at the flagship location of the nation’s largest paint-n-sip studio, Wine & Design, and her painting designs still circulate throughout all of their 80 stores.

Currently a resident artist and lead project coordinator at the Elisabeth Jones Art Center in Portland, Brecken has collaborated with international artists such as Frans Pholoon of South Africa and Sun Mu, a North Korean refugee and former government propaganda artist featured in the Netflix documentary, “I Am Sun Mu.” Her original artwork appears on the back cover of the new memoir by Ann Humphreys, The Tao of Hoop.

As an aside, Brecken’s creativity is not limited to just visual art; she is also known worldwide as one of the original practitioners and innovators of the modern “flowart” form of hula-hooping, which blends the circus tricks of the hoop with improvised, flowing dance. She has toured the world several times over, teaching and performing this unique movement form and astonishing dancers and circus artists everywhere. Her skills as an event planner, co-creating informative and intimate gatherings in a wide range of locations across the globe, rival her artistic and kinetic talents.

ARTIST RESUME

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Elisabeth Jones Art Center 2021

Project Coordinator and Resident Artist

Collaborative Artist working with internationally acclaimed artist
Installation artist, crafting and rending in-house large works and atmosphere
Portrait artist, working with local community leaders
Project and event coordinator, arranging showings and installations

Wine and Design, Raleigh and Durham, NC 2016 - 2019

Artist/Teacher

Taught and entertained classes ranging anywhere from 5 - 50 people. All ages
In charge of designing and teaching all custom murals/mosaics requested by corporate team building parties
Designed several original paintings subsequently circulated throughout the company
Revamped several originals and taught coworkers several techniques for doing the same
Specialized in portraits, anatomy, hair, sunsets, blending and one-stroke technique

Brecken Hoops, Carrboro, NC 2009 – 2015

Owner/ Manager

Created a framework of material for accelerated movement development in hoop dance currently used as a trade staple
Taught and performed in over 120 cities in countries including the US, Canada, much of Europe, Turkey, Australia, Japan and Indonesia.
Currently holds 2 annual week-long retreats, held in Turkey and Massachusetts.
Developed a platform of presentation that includes teaching, performing, public speaking, coaching and mentorship
Marketed through social media to set up workshops; handle all venue booking, price negotiations and finances.
Self-supporting business for over 8 years

Development Design Group, Architectural Firm, Baltimore, MD 2008-2009

Model Builder

Constructed models of housing complexes, office buildings, hotel resorts, shopping pavilions and virtually every other complex structure from simple, two-dimensional blue prints into room-sized works of art.
I was often placed in charge of landscape design
Models were requested and shipped internationally and work moved at a tremendous pace

Fantastic Finishes 2003-2005

Artist

Painted mural and faux finish (fake marbling) in homes, restaurants and banquet halls throughout Northern New Jersey with a small team of other artists.
Responsibilities included: painting in teams, communicating with clients, driving long distances, constructing scaffolding, taping off, sanding, lifting, organizing the truck and supplies.

EDUCATION

Maryland Institute of College Arts (MICA), Baltimore, MD Graduated 2007

Bachelor of Fine Arts, Painting

Get in Touch

201-693-6845