The NSCAD community mourns the loss of Stephen Brookbank, an accomplished visual artist and staff member, who passed away on May 18, 2024.
Stephen inspired many students during his time at NSCAD as a photography technician. He was well-known for his technical expertise and his devotion to helping students realize their artistic projects.
“He loved working with NSCAD students. It gave him such pleasure to see a student learn a new skill or stretch themselves as they found a new way of making a photograph,” says his partner Marcia Lakowski.
Born and raised in Lower Sackville, N.S., Stephen studied photography at Dawson College in Montreal—where he met Marcia—and then at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. His 29-year photography career took him across Canada, living, playing, and photographing in Montreal, Vancouver, Toronto, Hamilton and finally, Halifax.
His work was exhibited throughout North America and he maintained a passionate photography practice up until the final days of his life. He honed his skills as Photography Technician at Toronto Image Works, a role he later continued at NSCAD in the Photography Department.
“He loved photographing in the worst weather possible, at the craziest hours possible, in the most remote places with the most interesting people,” says Marcia. “You never knew what was going to happen if you went out on a photo shoot with Stephen, but you knew it would be fun. He had learned over the years to fully engage in the magic of the moment, which led to some great photographs.”
Many faculty, staff and students have fond memories of Stephen. A friend of former student Rebecca Delle Monache, on hearing of his passing, told her that “Stephen was a rock to so many people at NSCAD.” That hit her hard.
“He was indeed a rock to us, and we will miss him greatly,” Rebecca writes. “He was a great mentor and friend. He had this natural way to live life that was beautiful to watch. He knew how to live. He was fun, positive, humble, kind, and a great storyteller. I loved listening to his stories; he could turn something so simple and ordinary into the most precious or funny thing you have ever heard or seen. We can see that in his photos. He unknowingly taught people to appreciate the details. He did that with pretty much everything.
“He was supportive; he taught me a lot of my skills as an artist and photographer,” she continues. “Not only me, a lot of the photo students as well, with so much patience. He loved seeing us students, thriving, making art, succeeding. He took time to see all our works and exhibitions. He cared for us as artists, he even brought his personal collections of artists, books, musicians to share with us so we could add to our projects, grow our knowledge, and inspire.”
Fellow photo technician Alex Chisholm writes, “When Stephen came to the photo department as a student, it felt like a family. Upon Stephen’s return, as a technician, he worked to foster that same feeling. Family. Last Christmas we were given ‘Dad’ mugs. A testament to the feeling that Photo is a family, so rare in most institutions, special and unique. We all feel the loss, we have all seen his unwavering support and dedication to the photo family. We will all miss Stephen, and we will not forget him.”
Photography Professor Adrian Fish remembers when he first met Stephen as a member of the hiring committee for the technician vacancy in Photography.
“His interview impressed the committee who obviously hired him,” he says. “I often thought about how great a decision that committee made, as he had been such an integral component of our department right from the very beginning. I’ve always known Stephen to be an incredibly kind and patient person. He was a very skilled technician, a talented photographer, and an excellent colleague. I can say without exaggeration that all students valued and appreciated Stephen.
“Shortly before his passing, a recent testament of his effect on the student community was with a graduate student whose thesis review I chaired,” he continues. “In the acknowledgment section of their thesis document, this student had a specific and lengthy mention of Stephen for all his invaluable assistance over the course of their MFA experience. I even mentioned that during the thesis review, Stephen was truly an asset to everyone in the Photography Department at NSCAD. We will all miss him terribly.”
Photo student Melissa Naef remembers Stephen as an incredible technician, photographer, mentor, and friend.
“On any given day you would hear his music or buzzing life stories echoing through the halls of the Photo Dept.,” she writes. “The one thing that brought Stephen and I closer was our love of photo books. Often, I would begin my shift at the Cage with books already waiting for me at the desk. They were usually picked out based on our daily conversations or common photographic interests. We would then share our favourite images, which almost always transitioned into us sharing tales of our past life experiences. He was a phenomenal storyteller; I will continue to hold his stories close and do as Stephen would have because it’ll probably make for some amazingly unforgettable memories.”
The first thing that comes to mind about Stephen is how skilled he was in working with students, says part-time faculty member Steve Farmer.
“He had a comical, relaxed way of working through problems and new technology,” he says. “One day, we were showing students how to scan black-and-white negatives. He was scanning a photo with his back to the students and said without looking around ‘That’s it for the scan.’ The image on the screen looked bad – flat, without tone – and the students were making faces like…is this the best he can do? Stephen turned around in his chair, saw their faces, and burst out laughing. He said it looks bad for a reason. In a couple of clicks, he took the image into Photoshop, and wow, it became an amazing image. He said sometimes you must make an image look like garbage before it is beautiful. Every time we did demos like this, he gained more and more respect from the students and myself.”
Working with Stephen was one of the most cherished aspects of my time at NSCAD, says Natalie Goulet.
“He was beyond brilliant– amiable, sincere, and endlessly supportive,” she says. “Stephen embodied kindness and patience, and was quite possibly the most unpretentious artist I have ever met. I once invited him to share his work in my Documentary photo class, and he enthusiastically brought an array of stunning large prints to show us. The students eagerly gathered around him as he recounted stories for each image, and suddenly, my class size had doubled.
“Stephen always beamed when he spoke of his wife, Marcia. Though not a photographer herself, she accompanied him on his extensive photo endeavours and would remind him to ‘stop down.’ The students found this gesture incredibly wholesome, and suggested printing t-shirts with the slogan, ‘Get you someone who reminds you to stop down.’ Those stories now hold immeasurable value to the students, carrying far more meaning than anything I could have taught them throughout the semester. Stephen’s warmth, generosity, and love for both photography and for Marcia left an indelible mark on all of us. We’ll remind each other to stop down.”
A celebration of life will be held at the Sackawa Canoe Club (159 First Lake Drive, Lower Sackville, N.S.) from 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. on Sunday, June 23. A prayer and reading for Stephen will take place at 3 p.m. Online condolences may be expressed by emailing the family at sbrookbank@gmail.com. Please indicate if you wish your message to be private or public.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to QEII Health Sciences Foundation or the Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute. Alternatively, pet a dog or cat with a smile on your face for Stephen.