Brian Gray

July Alumni Spotlight

LEAP Academy Class of 2013

Brian Gray graduated from LEAP Academy in 2013 and just graduated from Rutgers University – New Brunswick with a BFA in Visual Arts with a concentration in Design from the Mason School of the Arts. University, New Brunswick. LEAP Academy’s college centric atmosphere really allowed him to have a seamless transition from high school to college. LEAP was where he discovered his interest in visual art via the school’s art courses. While at LEAP, he was a part of the student design team that worked on the designs for the mural on the STEM Intermediate School. His experiences working on that project inspired him to pursue Design as a career.

For his senior thesis project at Rutgers, he designed special spaces for homeless to sit throughout cities, addressing an anti-homeless design. Public city benches are designed for temporary seating but are virtually impossible to lay on, which prevents homeless people from sleeping on them. In addition, various types of metal and concrete spikes are installed in places where the homeless usually seek rest and shelter, like underpasses. He created a poster that unfolds into a full-sized air/water resistant and body heat reflective blanket to accommodate a homeless person’s basic needs.

Brian is doing some freelance design work and attributes his success to believing in yourself and your ideas 200% – he feels like that is the secret to life.