Peter Brant
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 flush from having successfully tried his hand at the stock market. Since then, Mr. Brant has slowly amassed a large and expansive collection which is primarily focused on the work of contemporary American artists. Like his father before him, Mr. Brant has sought to teach his children an appreciation of art and its vast history as well as a love for aesthetics. Daughter Allison Brant currently serves as director of The Brant Foundation Art Study Center.
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, Inc. makes artwork available to institutions and individuals for scholarly study, examination and loan.
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 and David Altmejd. Exhibits scheduled for 2012 include the works of Karen Kilimnik and Nate Lowman. The Brant Foundation Art Study Center, which is free and open to the public by appointment, presents long-term, annual exhibitions curated primarily from the collection.
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 addition to his presence in the art world, Mr. Brant is chairman and chief executive officer of White Birch Paper Company, a privately owned, family-run business headquartered in Greenwich, CT. Mr. Brant is owner and chairman of Brant Publications, Inc., publisher of The Magazine Antiques, Art in America, MODERN MAGAZINE, as well as Interview, founded by Andy Warhol in 1969.
Mr. Brant is the developer of Conyers Farm, a premier residential community located in Greenwich, CT and North Castle, NY. Once a 2000-acre parcel, Mr. Brant secured this land from dense development and an architectural review committee insures the architectural integrity of the classic homes located therein. Additionally, Mr. Brant was awarded a Certificate of Merit by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in recognition of his sensitive design relating to his interest in the restoration of a 160,000 sq. foot building located in New York’s historic SoHo district. With a keen interest in architecture and design, Mr. Brant has worked with many notable architects on projects of historic and aesthetic significance in addition to The Brant Foundation Art Study Center.
Mr. Brant is founder of the Greenwich Polo Club, the Saratoga Polo Association, and co-founder of the Bridgehampton Polo Club.
Mr. Brant resides with his family in Greenwich, CT.
For more information on Peter Brant, go to: www.peterbrant.com