AS WE CREATE

Ed Johnetta Miller is an accomplished quilt and fiber artist. Her love of textiles began when her family moved out of the south for a better life in the 1950's. Since then, she has become a respected artist, educator, and social justice advocate with work reflecting the riches and struggles of African and African American people. She has works in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian , the...

Nikita Prokhorov is a letter artist and designer who was influenced by architecture and painting through his Grandfather when he was young. After emigrating from Russia with his family, he shares what lead to his focus in design, his experiences teaching, and why he often keeps the computer off and starts an idea on paper. 

Michael Fielder enlisted in the Navy after high school and that lead to a camera being put into his hands for the first time. We talk about the early days of his career working at the Magnum offices and various newspapers, as well as his ongoing personal project, Working Journal .

Suzanne McKenzie is an entrepreneur, strategist, and designer. A brand has the ability to have social impact and Suzanne shares how her understanding of this came to be. We talk about her time in advertising at Arnold , starting a foundation in memory of a loved one, and how Able Made is creating things responsibly while supporting city-youth empowerment and health education.  

Andrei Kallaur is a designer and creative director.  The design of train cars developed a fascination with typography and color that Andrei has to this day. We talk about his early influences of skateboarding and graffiti culture as well as his career which has included roles at  New York Magazine, The New York Times, and Google.

Michael Ashtrachan is an illustrator, animator and founder of XVIVO . Ever since he could hold a pencil, Michael has been drawing and sketching. His commercial career started with illustration, though once the tools for animation became accessible, it became his primary focus. We talk about how he got into medical animation and the influence art and creativity has in science.

Jillian Cusano and Rosanna Karabetsos are professional dancers and core members of the Dance Collective . For centuries, dance has been an art form often reserved for the elite, whether in the audience or performing. We talk about the evolutions of their careers and their intentions beyond the stage to make dance more inclusive and accessible for all.

In the golden age of rock and roll, Gerard Huerta 's career started at CBS records creating artwork and logos for bands such as AC/DC, Willie Nelson, Blue Oyster Cult, and many more. After leaving CBS to start his own studio, his work expanded to create logos for many iconic brands such as Nabisco, Swiss Army, and Pepsi. We also talk about some recent personal work, which was inspired by his love...

Art was present in Amy Gorreck's life from an early age, but it wasn't until she attended Portfolio Center that she was able to fully understand the world of graphic design. Amy talks about working for  Martha Stewart , starting her own design studio , and her recent love of collage .

Karl Maruyama is a designer who's love of drawing was inspired by underground comics and auto culture. After deciding to purse a path in graphic design, Karl moved to the east coast and had an amazing career. We also talk about his current role as creative director for the Piston Foundation.

Brooke Toczylowski is an interdisiplinary artist, educator, and curator. Having worked internationally in arts education for many years, Brooke shares some experiences where the art was a vehicle for much more. She also takes us through the journey of her recent MFA thesis exploring colonialism in America.

Dana Smith has been a successful editorial photographer for over 25 years and he shares how that foundation has contributed to his photo illustration work. We talk about his experience with drive and motivation and how knowing nothing can be your most powerful tool.

Sam Angermann's background is rooted in graphic design, though we talk about how she navigated the highs and lows of past roles to better understand what she was looking for in her career. Always having a love for branding, Sam talks about the joy of her current role at Made by Nacho.

Gene Mayer is a designer, producer, and educator. We talk about his early years at Pratt and how that lead to the beginnings of Gene Mayer and Associates where his client list included Otis Elevators, United Technologies and General Electric. In recent years, things have been shifting and Gene shares his current efforts with Cork Factory Films and the University of New Haven .

Designer Marie Corriveau 's childhood home was filled with music and the arts, though she had aspirations of working in international relations. While on that path, Marie struggled with work/life balance and shares how a design project influenced her to make a change. She shares why she fell in love with design and her current role at Atelier Cho Thompson .

Jake Hamm  is a commercial photographer and outdoor enthusiast. We talk about his time at RIT and how his love of competitive mountain biking built the foundation of his career. Jake also talks about his work ethic and experiences with his team at  Cannondale Bicycles .

Andre Rochester in an artist, curator, and arts advocate . We talk about how sketching as a child gave him a way to cope while igniting his artistic ambition. Although his college studies had more of a commercial art focus, Andre leaned more in the fine art direction after graduation. His current work takes on many cultural and social issues, and when he is not creating or exhibiting his own work,...

Erich Davis is an artist and fabricator. His early love of baseball taught him the patience and discipline needed to become a successful graphic designer and art director. Though eventually, his love of sculpture and fabrication lead him to open his own creative studio and leave the marketing world behind.

Pam Howard is the founder and principal of Firebrick Design . We talk about her early days in journalism and publishing and how that contributed to her work ethic. Pam also shares her thoughts on maintaining creative integrity and how any opportunity contributes to personal growth.

With many decades in advertising and marketing,  Andrew Wood shares how things got started for him in England, why he came to the US,  and what has kept him at Mintz + Hoke for so long. Andrew also shares the process behind some campaigns he's lead and why it's always important to keep the client in the room.   

Jaeme Brennan McDonald is a songwriter, audio engineer, and educator. His musical aspirations started very young as he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father . Though as he grew older, the studio became a more appealing environment.  We talk about working with other musicians as well as his own creative patience. 

Cindy Lau is a designer and illustrator. Her fascination for visual storytelling and her eventual career focus was first sparked by her father's love of comics. We also talk about balancing work opportunities with quality of life, and how teaching has allowed her to value her authenticity.

Sean Kernan is a photographer, writer, and teacher. We chat about his early days in theater an how that transitioned into a very successful photography career. Sean has an amazing ability to stay curious and inspired and we discuss how that has influenced his teachings over the years. 

Ben Keller is a mural artist and painter. From a very young age, painting and drawing were the only things that helped Ben escape the tensions of everyday life. His art became his sense of purpose and has allowed him to develop a style that is uniquely his and very respected in the fine art and commercial worlds.

Faye Pite Beresner is the senior creative director at the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society . Faye shares how years of freelancing in graphic design influenced how she later led creative teams for Victorinox and Assa Abloy , and how that compares to her current role.