Art teacher Brian Gilbert’s life was not only affected by a tradition brought through the ages, but spread it to inspire the generation following behind.

“I don’t just do it so I can make a living from it,” Gilbert said. “I feel that I have to do it. If I don’t produce work, I feel that I’m not living to my potential.”

Gilbert not only teaches art, but has his own separate passion for art that’s not tied to Rider.

“Being an artist is something I have wanted to do since I was a little kid,” Gilbert said. “I had an uncle and an adopted grandfather figure who were artists, they were my first exposure to art.”

Gilbert’s uncle was an artist before he was sent to Vietnam, and never received any formal art training.

“He came back like a lot of guys and seen some things that affected his outlook on life,” Gilbert said. “He never had a lot of ambition, but he did like to draw. He was probably my biggest influence.”

Gilbert never thought his dream to become an artist was out of his reach until his parents began to discourage him, he said.

“It wasn’t until I got into high school and got older that my parents started telling me things like ‘you should think about something else’,” Gilbert said. “They were also telling me being an artist isn’t realistic and to pursue a history degree because I like history so much.”

But after a year in Cameron University, his passion urged him in a different direction. History wasn’t his calling, art was.

“I moved away from my family and enrolled in school the next year,” Gilbert said. “I started taking art classes at Cameron University and the encouragement that I got from my professors is what really helped me to stay on the path to become an artist.”

Gilbert said that art “isn’t the easiest thing” to make a living at, but if you find an audience that’s appreciative of it, that’s an accomplishment in itself.

“You probably hear teachers say that they aren’t making enough money,” Gilbert said. “They aren’t paid for their work and it’s all true. I am fortunate that I’ve been able to sell my work.”

If young artists start their career with a mindset of being rich and famous, Gilbert said “they should get their thought process checked,” because art isn’t an easy thing to excel at.

“I know a lot of people that are my age that have art degrees and that, once they got out of college, they stopped producing art,” Gilbert said. “Art is something that I’m driven to do.”

Senior Jake Vance said that he has seen amazing art from the art I classes that Gilbert teaches.

“I haven’t been here that long with the art I students, but from what I’ve seen, it’s a two way street certainly,” Vance said. “Gilbert does what any teacher would do and he strives to make sure that they’re learning, but it’s their choice whether to accept it or brush it off.”

Vance said that Gilbert’s grading prepares students for the college art professors that “could be very harsh” when it comes to critiquing art work.

“He’s very impartial,” Vance said. “He really doesn’t have favorites and that he’s a successful artist himself definitely helps him be able to teach art.”

Art teacher Jesse Baggett admires Gilbert’s artwork.

“I’ve seen Gilbert prints and I think he is really good, really creative,” Baggett said.

Looking back at his past, Gilbert said he “couldn’t imagine not being an artist.”

“When I was asked what I wanted to be when I grow up I would say an artist,” Gilbert said. “A lot of my subject matter tends to be western, but someone described it to me as a kind of cultural heritage. Even though I might not have a show coming up or have an overstock of inventory, one of the things I’m constantly thinking about is what am I going to do next.”