Brett grew up in central Missouri, earning his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Missouri in 1999 and his Master of Fine Arts from the University of South Dakota in 2002. He has had solo exhibitions in Oregon, Arizona, California, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Missouri and participated in over 100 group exhibitions nationally over the past 10 years. Brett has also traveled the country as a visiting artist, recently leading workshops on relief printmaking techniques in Texas, California, and North Carolina.