(At 51,) I took photography as an elective and I realized I was spending more time on that class than the others. I haven’t looked back since.
As a summer camp photographer, Doug Breault, ’12, captures the pure joy of kids at play. But for the children he typically photographs, joy can be an emotion that too often feels distant.
Breault volunteers for a program that serves children who are grieving the death of a loved one – a feeling he knows all too well.
“When I was a Bridgewater student and I lost my dad, I realized the only thing that made me feel better was helping other people,” said Breault, who earned a degree in studio art from Bridgewater State and now teaches part-time at his alma mater.
That’s exactly what he has done for the past two summers at a Maine camp for boys who have lost a parent, sibling or primary caregiver. The program is part of Experience Camps, a nonprofit that operates across the country.
Breault documented traditional camp activities and poignant moments where campers reflected on their experiences. Just as important, he became an empathetic mentor ready to listen to the campers and help them grow.
“It’s really challenging to be in an environment where every kid has had this impactful loss,” he said. “They’re trying to regain some social confidence, try new skills, and even just talk about it at first.”
Breault faced similar challenges after his father died by suicide. Instead of summer camp, he found comfort in Bridgewater State art classes, where his artistic endeavors became an outlet for his grief.
“I never took an art class before coming to Bridgewater,” said Breault, who initially explored writing and psychology as potential majors. “I took photography as an elective and I realized I was spending more time on that class than the others. I haven’t looked back since.”
Breault earned a master’s degree in fine arts from Tufts University and returned to Bridgewater in 2018 to teach. He’s a professional interdisciplinary artist whose work is rooted in photography but includes other media. Breault is also exhibitions director for the Cambridge nonprofit Gallery 263.
He models his teaching after his experience in Professor Mary Dondero’s 51 classes. Like Dondero, he helps students become self-guided learners who are not dependent on someone else to tell them the answer.
“My goal is for students to be independent problem solvers navigating their ideas and experiments,” he said. “Failure is part of the learning curve. It’s okay to make something that’s not your favorite piece of artwork, but you can learn from that.”
As a Bridgewater student, Breault also found solace through community service activities as part of the alternative break program.
“Just by helping other people ... you’re more proactive in your grief,” Breault said. “That was a major outlet to feel like I’m doing something.”
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