About the Matt Brown Foundation
Matt Brown loved three things passionately: Michigan Football, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and innovative arts.
He wouldn’t have described his love for the arts that way, but anyone who ever had a conversation with him about movies, television or music quickly understood his passion for work that offered something original and creative to the genre.
He prided himself on knowing musical artist before they became popular. If he was interested in a movie or a television show, he read everything he could about the directors and the production of the movie.
Consequently, he could explain in intricate detail the methods employed by specific directors to tell a story. His love of movies was only surpassed by his love of sports, particularly Michigan football.
The Matt Brown Innovative Arts Foundation was created to honor Matt’s life and to raise awareness of depression and mental health issues, particularly in young adult men. We hope to accomplish these goals by:
- Establishing an endowed scholarship at the University of Michigan for students in Screens Arts and Culture department, who struggle with depression, anxiety or other mental health issues.
- Promoting an open dialogue about depression, anxiety and other mental health issue through events and speakers in the African American community.
- Encouraging artists who struggle with depression, anxiety and other mental health issue by providing scholarships and awards to advance their art.
About the Program
The University of Michigan’s Screen Arts and Culture department enables students to explore the intersection of intellectual study and creative practices in the arts.
The program, in contrast to film school or the art school model, focuses on the integration critical studies and creative production by examining American and world films, video arts, television and digital media, as well as the development of particular genres and the careers of the individual artist.
Students gain practical experience in filmmaking, video, television, digital media, screenwriting and television writing courses.