Brent Edward McDonald

1966 - 2015

"The power of imagination makes us infinite"
-John Muir

On June 8th, 1966, in St. Joseph, Missouri, Charlesetta and Roscoe "Rock" McDonald welcomed Brent Edward McDonald into the world. This boy would grow to be a strong, gentle, compassionate man with a wild imagination and an extraordinary way of seeing the world - as something alive, something brilliant - he would become the vehicle for expressing this vision in every creative endeavor he undertook. It was his animating force.
He dedicated his time to sharing this brilliance with local youth, his community, and his family and friends. He recognized potential in everyone and became a master at helping others realize magnificence in themselves - a trait that allowed him to positively impact the lives of thousands of Seattle youth in hands-on workshops throughout the past decade. At the forefront of his passion was a tenacious desire to be self-sufficient to the extent of knowing what plants to forage from nature and believing that all of our landscaping should be edible. Learning and teaching these life and survival skills, including those that are fundamentally rooted in the art of working with wood, metal, and other natural materials was something about which Brent felt. As a man of deeply held convictions, he believed in preserving individual rights and freedoms, creating a way of life independent, if need be, of ordinary societal structures and institutions. In this way Brent addressed problems that he recognized in the world and found solutions. Thus he was able not only to express himself, but dream big in a way that put him one step closer to living the life he'd dreamed of: acquiring land, building a sustainable lifestyle for his family, and living in harmony with the earth.
Brent had a sly sense of humor and a smile that would melt your heart in an instant. He regularly found positivity and peace in even the most negative of circumstances. He believed strongly in the power of art and its numerous expressions as a form of commentary. He recognized the need for balance - work vs. play, tears vs. laughter, giving vs. taking, and one of the most important lessons he taught was that rest and rejuvenation of one's mind, body and soul was essential to a healthy life. He was a pillar of respect, understanding, and tolerance, believing in the absolute power of those ideals. Above all else, he encouraged and inspired the rest of us to recognize and reach for the same.
On Sunday, December 13th, 2015, at just 49 years old, Brent was taken from us. This senseless tragedy will forever leave a scar on the hearts of all who have known and loved him. But in those 49 short years, this incredible man achieved what we all strive for: he lived. And he did so in the truest sense of the word. He listened, he taught, he envisioned, he nurtured, he invented, he played, he struggled, he persevered, he laughed, he joked, he created, he inspired, he skated, he danced, he made funny faces, he questioned, he traveled, he lost a couple fingers, he learned, he grew, he respected, he encouraged, he built, he believed, he supported. But most of all, he loved. And that love was so strong, and so pure, and so true that it will remain within all of us forever.
Brent is survived by his life partner, Danielle Logan, his stepdaughter Alleya "Indigo" Logan, his mother Charlesetta and stepfather Darrell Harding, brothers Brian McDonald and Erick Harding, and sister Roxanne McDonald.
High School: Cleveland High - Seattle, WA

College: Seattle Central's Woodworking Program

Occupation: Artist, Designer, Woodworker, Craftsman, Teacher

Events: Millennium Project, Folk Life, & the 50th Anniversary Celebration at the Seattle Center, the WOMAD Festival, Summer Nights at the Pier, the Fremont Solstice Parade

Organizations: Coyote Central, Nature Consortium, Arts Corp, Seattle School District, Children's Museum

Public Art Projects & Locations: We'll be adding a full list soon, sorry we didn't get to it. :)

Hobbies + Interests: Designing tiny homes, reading, studying, learning, investigating different religions, painting, building, gardening, camping, hiking, running, roller skating, dancing, playing music, practicing martial arts, walking, just being or observing, joking around, making funny faces, watching movies or old TV shows (both Japanese & American), eating sushi, BBQing, hanging out with friends, playing pool, pinball, playing with kids, being outdoors, thinking outside the box. He was also part of the dance duo Twiggy B & the Casanova Kid.