ABOUT

MR. FINAMORE

Hello! I'm Brandon Finamore, artist and art teacher at Summit Heights Junior High School.

I grew up in Wheat Ridge, Colorado and earned my BFA in Studio Arts and MA in Art Education from the University of Denver. In addition to teaching, I am also a full-time practicing artist in the fields of painting and drawing. My work is part of several private collections around the world and has been exhibited throughout Denver as well as nationally.

I work hard and (try to) play harder. I enjoy hiking, fly fishing, listening to vinyl, visiting museums, drinking coffee, and spending time with my wife, Hadia, dog, Bentley, and our soon-to-be baby girl.

In 2014, I began my teaching career at Kearney Middle School. I instantly fell in love with this historic, resilient community of thinkers, learners, and visionaries. Commerce City just felt right... a blend of small town vibes mixed with the richness of multigenerational diversity. I knew I was in the right place.

One of my greatest hopes is for students to experience art as a means of community engagement and the understanding that the products of our creativity have the power to exist in spaces far beyond our classroom walls. It's this kind of community collaboration that best defines my philosophy as an educator.

I strongly believe that all kids have the ability to elevate their voice into authentic visual expressions. My students come to school with many stories and I'm tirelessly working to find new ways in which they can share them.

CV/RESUME

THE SUMMIT STUDIOS STORY

As Bob Dylan once wrote, "the times, they are a-changin'." In the Spring of 2025, Adams 14 turned the page toward a long-awaited chapter in our district's history as we began the consolidation process to combine our two existing middle schools into one. As a result, Summit Heights Junior High School was born. Within the coming years, a state-of-the-art building will be erected to give our students a permanent junior high home... and, for the first time in our district’s nearly 80-year history, a studio space dedicated exclusively to the visual arts. Our journey is just beginning!

Students peeling potatoes in Home Economics class. Circa 1990

Painting landscapes in acrylic inspired by Georgia O'Keefe. 2022

OUR ROOTS

In the early 1950s, the world was a much different place. Music from Dean Martin, Perry Como, and Elvis Presley blared over the radio stations; President Dwight D. Eisenhower served as the 34th President of the United States, Queen Elizabeth II was crowned as the new ruler of the United Kingdom, and both Kearney Middle School and Adams City Middle School opened up their doors to students in Commerce City - known at the time as Derby.

As with many schools across the United States, Family and Consumer Sciences, also known as Home Economics, was a staple of secondary education. This class aimed to professionalize housework and involved learning how to cook, clean, sew, and maintain a steady home. Societal expectations in the 1950s meant that this class was mainly offered to women preparing to become hardworking housewives. The original floor plan for our space at Kearney Middle was designated for this very purpose. The laminate, cook-safe countertops remained in our room for decades. Drop-offs in these counters served as reminders of the ovens and baking stations that once took their place. Later, the classroom was used as a wood shop until it was designated to be an art space in the 1990s. The room has largely remained unchanged ever since.

The significance of our original room title, Studio 4, was twofold: a reference to both the original room number from 1953, and a title given to honor Studio 23, the art room at Wheat Ridge High School that sparked Mr. Finamore's passion for creativity and personal journey toward teaching.

With the proposed closure of Kearney Middle at the end of the 2026 school year, the decision to retire the name Studio 4 with the Kearney community felt right. And, as the transition began to our new home at Summit Heights Junior High, the name Summit Studios was officially erected.

Today, Summit Studios, provides a space for all students to develop studio practices that translate into new ways of learning across content areas and beyond. Through studies of art history, and and exploration of a variety of materials and techniques, students leave Summit Studios with a strong sense of artistic confidence and a new lens for the world around them.

A 21st CENTURY ART ROOM

In 2024, Optiv Security, in partnership with the Mile High United Way, made a historic and transformative contribution to elevate Studio 4 in the spotlight as a competitive force within the STEAM learning community. The donation marks one of the largest to KMS in recent memory.

JANUARY 2024

After completing an initial site visit to Studio 4, Optiv developed a comprehensive plan to renovate and refurbish our space. Opitv's team arrived in late January to begin the major stages of renovation in our classroom. Fourteen epoxy resin art tables were constructed to replace the outdated and mismatched furniture that had adorned the space for nearly thirty years. Optiv volunteers painted and repaired cabinets, removed crumbling bulletin boards, painted walls, and refurbished book shelves. As a result, the layout of our room transformed dramatically.

In addition to renovation of Studio 4, Optiv donated nearly a dozen mechanical raise/lower desks, filing cabinets, vertical storage pullouts, and desk chairs to Kearney's main office space giving it a modern and updated look.

FEBRUARY 2024

Optiv invited Mr. Finamore along with 12 students to their company kickoff event on February 28th, 2024 at the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center. Students were picked up from school in style with a party limo complete with snacks and drinks for the ride.

Students were brought to a holding room where they were divided in to teams and designated as captains by Optiv members. For the next 90 minutes, Kearney Middle School was celebrated by over 800 Optiv employees - teams competed in trivia and minute-to-win-it challenges unlocking a plethora of classroom equipment including Lego Spike kits, a state-of-the-art CO2 laser cutter, 30 iPads complete with keyboards, cases, and Apple Pencils; and a Lulzbot 3D printer.

In addition to classroom equipment, Optiv had an even bigger surprise for the twelve students that participated in the event as each middle schooler received a backpack complete with Optiv merchandise, a $200 Walmart Gift Card, and a brand new laptop.

INTERVIEW WITH CBS4 COLORADO

CBS4Interview.mp4

OPTIV CHIPS IN PROMO

Optiv Chips In_ STEAM Lab™ Locations Bridge Digital Divide.mp4