Paul Brach, a native New Yorker, found his passion for painting while studying under Grant Wood at the University of Iowa. Brach's artistic and personal life became enriched when he married fellow artist Miriam Schapiro in 1946. Their move back to the New York in 1951 immersed them in the vibrant Abstract Expressionist scene, where they befriended notable figures like Joan Mitchell, Larry Rivers, Knox Martin, and Michael Goldberg. Brach's involvement with the renowned Atelier 17 print studio further solidified his place within the artistic community. Teaching was another facet of Brach's career, he taught at The New School, Cooper Union, Parsons School of Design, and Cornell University's New York City Program during the early 1960s. In 1969 he assumed the role of Dean at the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) program in Los Angeles.