Davon Brantley laughingly describes himself as Bruce Wayne by day, Batman by night: he is the senior admissions counselor at Cleveland Institute of Art (CIA) and a full-time artist working in large self-portraits in oils and charcoal. But what underpins his persona is anything but cartoonish: “Even though it looks very bleak in our world—often comedic, like a cartoon—through art, […]
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Deidre McPherson is a dot connector and coalition builder, deeply committed to the power of collaboration within and outside of the arts sector. For over fifteen years, she has worked in arts and culture in a variety of roles—from marketing and program management to producing and curating arts events and festivals—while remaining steadfastly rooted in community outreach and advocacy. Currently, […]
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Aireonna McCall-Dubé proceeds at full throttle: as the founder and owner of three intertwined businesses—Extraordinaire Photos, EP Events, and EP Studio—she also holds a full-time day job as community manager for a Tremont real estate developer, Sustainable Community Associates. “Going into every day with open arms is fun,” says McCall-Dubé. “It keeps me excited about what I do every day.” […]
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Celeste Stauber knows that if the zombie apocalypse comes to a neighborhood near her, she’ll be alright. “Visual art is just about problem solving,” says Stauber. “In any job I’ve had, I’ve been the problem solver and figured out a solution creatively. Plus I can make paper and rope from plants. If I found a team of people I wouldn’t […]
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There are few times when a threadbare cliché—such as, say, thinking outside the box—seems made for a moment. When Grace Blackley and Maddie Harbert were in the early stages of their design degrees at Kent State University, they learned one of the first foundational lessons students are taught to master early on in the program: to draw a square. The […]
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“Hi, I’m Kyra!” reads the top of the homepage of the website of Kyra Wells. “I am a Graphic Designer.” And then a vertical line, like the cursor of a text, swipes left and erases that job title, replacing it with Motion Designer. Then Brand Strategist takes its place. Next is Design Educator, followed by Community Advocate, and finally Champion […]
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Zach Repphun’s first memory of encountering a work of art was on a field trip to Youngstown’s esteemed Butler Institute of American Art in the fourth grade. He was captivated by Madison Avenue at Speed, Peter Maier’s actual-size painting of Jeff Gordon’s #24 race car that is now part of that museum’s permanent collection. Years later, when Repphun was working […]
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For those interested in working in the arts, the phrase “day job” often pops up in conversation. It’s the job you do that you might not love so that you can do the work in art that you do love. It pays the bills, even if it doesn’t feed the soul. For a number of years, Amber Ford was lucky […]
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