Deborah Brunson
Biography
Deborah Brunson
Professor Emeritus
dbrunson@nmsu.edu
Originally from Mobile, Alabama, Deborah received a BFA in Costume Design from The University of Alabama in 1977, and an MFA in Costume Design from the University of Texas at Austin in 1980. She has been Resident Costume Designer at NMSU/ASTC since 1988. She also works professionally in many areas of design, always involving students whenever possible. Her professional theatre credits include The Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Shakespeare in Santa Fe, The New Mexico Rep, Snowmass/Aspen Rep, Utah Summer Music Theatre, Tuacahn Theatre, Jenny Wiley Theatre and the Omaha Community Playhouse.
She also works in film in a number of different capacities, including consulting on period accuracy and working with actors on period-specific movement and comportment. Her recent film credits include Ambush at Dark Canyon, (where she got to fit Kix Brooks in period western wear!), A Country Christmas, and most recently as pulling specialist for the Emmy-winning film Bessie where she was pleased to see two garments that she made for NMSU productions being worn by Queen Latifah and Mo’nique!
She does many unique fabrication projects, including recently producing an 8-layer, 4’ diameter Green Chile Cheeseburger that was introduced at the NM State Fair and named “El Whoppo” by a many-entry naming contest. Most recently, she produced costumes for the Drum Majors and Color Guard for the Mayfield High School Band—her 4th such project. Her favorite project was a joint venture between The NMSU Theatre, Dance and Music Departments where she got to design and fabricate costumes based on desert life such as Roadrunners, Tumbleweeds and Cactuses.
She enjoys working with museums to help them accurately portray period-wear, including The NM Farm & Ranch Museum, the NMSU Museum, and she recently made reproduction garments for the Tour Guides at the Magoffin Home in El Paso.
She has worked extensively with EP fiber artist (former student and Department graduate) Wayne Hilton. Utilizing student interns in paid positions, she has coordinated the fabrication of clothing for 7’ tall found-object metal “Catrina” Dia de los Muertos sculptures made from vintage textiles that are re-configured as elaborately detailed period costumes. In her third summer on the project, she produced 5 costumes that represent the Luchador Mexican wrestling tradition through the use of found-object textiles and influenced by the Commedia Dell ’Arte. At the conclusion of several smaller exhibits throughout the southwest–a retrospective of Hilton’s work, which represents a three-year collaboration with Deb and many of the NMSU Theatre Arts students, will be presented at the El Paso Museum of Art.
