Derek Brennan is a Cleveland-based artist whose journey began in 2007 as a theme park caricaturist. His passion for drawing led him to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Bowling Green State University, specializing in encaustic painting.
In 2016, Derek had the opportunity to create his first mural—an experience that ignited a deep love for public art. Since then, he has completed nearly 50 murals, primarily throughout the Cleveland area.His most ambitious project to date is a striking 728-foot-long mural—Ohio’s second-largest—created as part of the Elevate the East campaign in collaboration with the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority. He has created several large exterior murals in the city of Sandusky and Fostoria, expanding his artistic footprint beyond Cleveland.
Derek’s work can also be seen at MetroHealth, The Cleveland Museum of Art Community Arts Center, and The Cleveland Public Auditorium. Through his murals, he seeks to spark conversations, inspire curiosity, and make art more accessible to the public.
He lives in West Park with his wife and two daughters. When he’s not working on large-scale public art, he spends time in his gallery and studio at 78th Street Studios in Cleveland’s Gordon Square neighborhood.