Faculty Profile: Meet Bryan Cheney
In Bryan Cheney’s visual art studio, digital cameras, iMacs and Photoshop have replaced darkrooms, film negatives and pans of chemicals during his 44 years at Milton. Bryan embraces these changes.
“Teaching photography is a way to get students thinking in different ways. Digital photography brings that to whole other level; the technology becomes one of the teachers, because students can see immediately what happens when they dare to try something new and unknown. That cycle feeds the creative process. Technology gives students the ability to explore, to experiment, to discover and to accomplish.”
Bryan still teaches the fundamentals of his discipline. A favorite project is designing and building fully functional cameras out of unusual materials—hockey helmets, wood, cardboard, shoes. Students develop photos taken with these unique machines in a dark room, and Bryan displays the results at student art shows, along with the innovative cameras themselves.
“Being a teacher is exciting at Milton. Teaching photography allows me to communicate more than what the students typically consider ‘art.’ I teach history, language, science and design. I pull lots of things into the classroom, which fits the way my mind works. The opportunity to work with Milton students—and help them draw on the potential they didn’t realize they had—is very exciting work.”
As a senior at Harvard, Bryan was drawn to teaching. He was working as a teaching assistant and leading a foundation course in his major, architectural sciences. He was also inclined toward being an architect, and architecture still plays a role in his life. He designs residential homes, in addition to creating photography.
Over the years, Bryan has worn many hats at Milton: serving on various steering committees, acting in faculty performances, coaching three sports and living in the houses. He has been a witness to Milton’s transitions and growth.
“The opportunities Milton offers today’s students are much broader and deeper than when I first started. Our students’ potential has so much more chance to be awakened. One of my recent students discovered that she had a remarkable aptitude for making and building images through the photographic medium. She was accepted to six major art and design colleges. Seeing her discover that and helping draw her along—that was exciting for me as a teacher, and it’s what Milton offers our students.”
