Austin based photographer and teacher Bret Brookshire has a deep interest in our sense of place. He is curious about the aspects of ourselves that connect us to what we do and where we live. Rooted in Texas since the 1830s, his family history is intimately connected to Central and South Texas.

 

A happily married husband and the father of two children in their twenties, Bret has enjoyed many years as a stay at home parent, photographer and teacher…keeping house and connecting with the Austin community.

 

Primarily a theatre and documentary photographer, he is currently working on projects utilizing 19th century photographic techniques to investigate his visual and emotional connection to nature. The opportunity to explore both local history and the photographic legacy of the Smoot family fits right into Bret’s world.

 

As a full-time photography professor at Austin Community College, Bret often teaches a History of Photography class…giving him a unique opportunity to combine his interest in place and photography with a chance to bring local history into the classroom. 

 

He looks forward to exploring the past at Flower Hill with an eye on how its legacy can help students better understand their place in the world. Additionally, Flower Hill might provide an excellent learning opportunity for students interested in exploring the cultural heritage side of professional photography. 

For nearly a century and a half, the Smoot family “cooperated with nature” to create the vibrant Texas wildscape of the Flower Hill Estate on West Sixth Street. But the generosity of spirit that cultivated that sanctuary extends beyond the iron fence surrounding the property. Institutions like the Central Presbyterian Church, the Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, the Austin American-Statesman, the Texas state capitol, The University of Texas and Travis and Austin High Schools all owe an incalculable debt to Flower Hill residents. Author Rosa Latimer traces the positive legacy of Flower Hill and the influential Austin family who lived there. Signed copies available in the Flower Hill Giftshop. 

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Valerie Fowler has created a body of artworks: paintings, drawings and mixed media works, all inspired by the land and historic Austin home that is Flower Hill. 

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"Flower Hill was my muse for almost a year. I created works about the land and also about the house itself. Nature is my accustomed muse so the land brought plenty of inspiration but the historic home was more challenging. I ended up choosing to depict natural light within the rooms. Shadow patterns became a character element in the interiors depicted." Valerie Fowler
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This project was supported in part by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department and Big Medium.

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Michelle Jantsch has been growing her green thumb right here in Austin, TX over the past decade. After the purchase of her home - lovingly referred to as the Jantsch Ranch – and doing a complete makeover of the grounds, she began designing her ideal garden space. Over the course of the pandemic, that garden space has more than doubled in size, and added several native plants and fruiting trees. 

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Now that the Jantsch Ranch has reached its potential, Michelle has set her sights on sharing the knowledge and skill she’s amassed with the public. She will be hosting workshops and craft sessions at her space beginning this Summer and is also providing garden consulting for people looking to get their own projects out of their dreams and into the ground. She is thrilled to be named the Gardener in Residence at Flower Hill, and to be able to share her expertise for the enjoyment of all who visit.

​Palimpsest

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"Through photography, drawing, and film, I attempt to summon memories; an impractical and at times clunky way of traveling backwards in time to retrieve the irretrievable and reconcile past with present. In my film ​Palimpsest​, I merge Jane’s vast archive with scenes from the current museum as a means of meditating upon her rich history, along with the uncomfortable inevitability of loss and nature of memory." Robert Melton 

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