Eleanor K. Brewer

Long-time art teacher retires at Southmont High School

Eleanor Keller Brewer’s career spanned 40 years

Posted Saturday, September 7, 2024
For the Journal Review

Eleanor Keller Brewer, an 85-year-old digital and traditional art teacher at Southmont High School, has retired after an illustrious career spanning 40 years.

Brewer, a trailblazer in art education, is celebrated for her innovative approach to teaching both traditional art forms and cutting-edge digital media, leaving an indelible mark on the school and the broader art education community.

Brewer’s journey in education began later in life, at the age of 42, after overcoming significant societal barriers. Despite graduating as valedictorian from Ladoga High School in 1957, she was initially discouraged from pursuing higher education. She was told girls just got married and had children.

However, after raising three children and saving funds from her work as a secretary to the Director of Personnel at Allison Division, General Motors Corporation, she enrolled in and graduated from Herron School of Art, Indiana University. There, behind a locked door, she discovered a computer with a paint program installed, and later at IU Bloomington the burgeoning field of animation and computer graphics, which would become a cornerstone of her teaching career...