Martha Branner has been producing art since early childhood. Her formal studies began in Dayton Ohio at the Dayton Art Institute. She continued her studies at the University of Dayton; Brooklyn Museum Art School, Brooklyn, NY; New York University in New York, NY; and Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio. She finished her graduate studies at San Jose State University, San Jose, California.Upon completion of her formal education, she became co-director and later, owner of the Branner Spangenberg Gallery in Palo Alto, California. Since closing the gallery, she has continued to act as an art consultant while pursuing her own creations.
| From the Dining Series--MA Exhibit San Jose State University |
Her work evolved over a period of years to her current focus which is based on exploration of abstract elements using primary scraps from a variety of objects including newspapers, magazines, free-hand drawings, and bits and pieces of found objects.
Her art has appeared on the cover of Hayden’s Ferry Review, Arizona State University, and most recently, one of her collage paintings has been selected for a literary book (Literacy Breakthrough: Erotic Literacy Feminist Pedagogues, Environment Justice). This book is based on the writings of Sapphire, author of the book Push. She received the Lorraine Hansberry Arts, Performance, and Media Award for undergraduate studies in art. Her work appears in numerous collections.