Dorothy Hayes
“When I came to New York ten years ago I couldn’t find anybody blacks in the commercial art field. Finally, after I found a job on my own, I did start to encounter black people. But in the course of trying to develop my talent I discovered that if I went to them for some direction, they just wouldn’t give it. “
“Nobody wanted to take the time to show or tell me anything. I vowed then that if I made it, I would never turn my back on any black person who came to me for advice and who really wanted to learn.”
She understood the design field not only as a Black person, but also as a woman. She went on to navigate the field of design as a seasoned professional. And became successful in her field and went on to live up to her word of sharing what she knew in the field of education.
She went on to teach design at New York City College of Technology. Professor Dorothy Hayes, the department’s first full-time Black professor in the design program at City Tech.
EMORY DOUGLAS
The former Revolutionary Artist and Minister of Culture for the Black Panther Party, Emory Douglas’ career in commercial art has been centered around civil and equal rights propagation from its beginnings.
During this time, Douglas became active in the Black Panther Party after being introduced to the founding members, Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale. While watching Seale work on the first issue of the party’s paper, The Black Panther, Douglas offered up his design skills. He was well aware of the importance of having illustrations and artwork to help reach the many illiterate members of the communities the party was targeting. Much of his art and illustration for the paper initially focused on Black rights, but it soon expanded to include women, children, and community figures, alongside the party’s focuses. It was while working on The Black Panther that Douglas coined and popularized the term “pigs” in reference to police officers.
https://www.artandobject.com/articles/emory-douglas-art-revolution
Art Sims
From his first foray into the art world with the “Draw Me” test from magazines and TV of the 50’s and 60’s, Sim excelled. He attended Detroit’s Cass Technical High School, known for its dedication to the arts. From there Sims gained acceptance to the University of Michigan on a full scholarship. During the summer between his junior and senior years, Sims landed a job with Columbia Records to produce a series of album covers. After graduation, the sunshine state was calling his name and Sims headed to LA.
GAIL ANDERSON
orn and raised in New York, Anderson’s ever burning curiosity about design began with the teen mags of her adolescent years and was cemented while studying at the School of Visual Arts in NY. It was here that Anderson began to develop her methodologies and no holds barred approach to design.
After college, Anderson eventually landed at The Boston Globe for two years where she worked with those responsible for pioneering the new newspaper design of the late 1980s. Moving on to Rolling Stone in 1987, Anderson worked seamlessly with AIGA medalist, Fred Woodward, where their creative process always included lots of music, low lighting, and late nights. Her work with Woodward was always exploring new and exciting materials and instruments to create Rolling Stone’s eclectic design. Everything from hot metal to bits of twigs, to bottle caps, was utilized to create their best vision possible.
Eddie Opara
Eddie Opara was born in Wandsworth, London in 1972. He studied graphic design at the London College of Printing and Yale University, where he received his MFA in 1997. He began his career as a designer at ATG and Imaginary Forces and worked as a senior designer/art director at 2×4 before establishing his own studio, The Map Office, in 2005. He joined Pentagram’s New York office as partner in 2010.
Opara is a multi-faceted designer whose work encompasses strategy, design and technology. His projects have included the design of brand identity, publications, packaging, environments, exhibitions, interactive installations, websites, user interfaces and software, with many of his projects ranging across multiple media.
https://www.pentagram.com/about/eddie-opara
Carmelle Kendall
Carmelle is an art director, designer and illustrator born and raised in Atlanta, GA. She has 7 years of experience working on global and local advertising campaigns. She has lived in many cities but currently calls Atlanta home. In the daylight Carmelle works in advertising but by desk light, Carmelle enjoys making films and illustrating for her paper company, Neighborly.
Michele Washington
Cultural Boundaries is a place for me to explore my interest in cross-cultural research through my own lens as I travel to other countries to explore local places that arouse my perception of other people’s cultures. These experiences offer me a chance to savor the abundant smells and flavors of food and the rituals that surround eating. I also explore the beauty and unique nature of the arts; the contrast between old and new architecture and the changing landscapes; and the spiritual practices of the people.
Michele Y. Washington is a designer, design writer, and educator with a national reputation for bringing the work of black, African, and African Caribbean into mainstream design consciousness. She maintains a design consultancy, the office of Michele Washington that focuses on branding strategy, design, and cross-cultural research. Her research explores the significance of natural hair in black culture; the use of social media to facilitate global dialogue between women about natural hair; cross-cultural interaction between users and products; and the impact of research in architecture, urbanism, fashion, and visual and material culture on emerging global communities. Previously she worked as a designer and art director, for such publications as The Chicago Tribune; The New York Times; Business Monthly, Essence, and Self. Michele loves engaging the students she teaches in the Graduate Exhibition Program at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City to investigate their inherent global environments. She has served on the board of the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA), New York chapter, and currently serves on the advisory board of XCD Cross-Cultural Community, the AIGA Design Journey. Michele’s writings have appeared in Print Magazine, Studio Museum in Harlem blog, and the International Review of African American Art. Additionally, will be an upcoming blogger for New York Spaces.
Michele has an M.F.A in Design Criticism from the School of Visual Arts in NYC and an M.S. in Communication Design from Pratt Institute. Michele writes and administers Cultural Boundaries. Contact Michele: hi [at] culturalboundaries [dot] com if you have news or announcements to share.
http://www.culturalboundaries.com/
Douglas Davis
STRATEGIST, AUTHOR, AND PROFESSOR
Brooklyn-based Douglas Davis enjoys being one of the variety of voices needed in front of and behind the concept. His approach to creativity combines right-brained creative problem-solving with left-brained strategic thinking. Douglas’ integrated point of view has enabled his natural evolution from designer to strategist, author, and professor. His expertise spans advertising, design, and business education, and has found an international audience by presenting his tools on combining the three to produce more effective creative business solutions. In 2016, Douglas wrote Creative Strategy and the Business of Design, a title that was translated into Mandarin in partnership with Beijing Normal University Publishing Group in 2020. He is a former co-chair of AIGA’s National Diversity and Inclusion Taskforce and regularly contributes to the business of design discourse in Printmag.com, Applied Arts, and The European Business Review.
In 2011 Douglas founded The Davis Group LLC and continues to offer strategic solutions to client branding, digital, and design problems. In addition to client work, Douglas leverages his professional experience to inspire high school, undergraduate, and graduate students. He is the former Chair of the Emmy-Award winning BFA in Communication Design program at New York City College of Technology in Brooklyn and serves on the advisory boards of the University of Oregon’s Masters in Advertising and Brand Responsibility and City College’s Masters in Branding and Integrated Communications. Douglas holds a B.A. in Graphic Design from Hampton University, an M.S. in Communications Design from Pratt Institute, and an M.S. in Integrated Marketing from New York University. Emmy award-winning Strategist, Author & Chair, B.F.A. Communication Design ….who depends on what day.
Mekhi Baldwin
HELLO.
I’m a multi-disciplinary art director and designer. My professional career began in industrial design with a focus on soft goods like luggage, footwear, and accessories. I’ve been fortunate to work in-house for brands like Puma, The North Face, Samsonite, and JanSport specializing in color, materials, and trends. I ventured out on my own afterward under the moniker MEKEBA (my middle name is Kevin – see what I did there?
Elise Swopes
In 2011, Elise Swopes (eh-L EE S Sw-O-pes) joined Instagram, never imagining her power to inspire and generate a global brand. Since then, the self-taught artist has transformed into a full-fledged career professional, becoming one of the original and most profitable iPhone artists of all time. She has created NFTs with Rolling Stone and partnered with technology giants like Apple, Adobe, and Google, working with over 200 billion-dollar companies.
Based in New York, Elise developed her artistry, capturing drone photos of the city and transforming them into otherworldly scenes. Her signature giraffe adds whimsy to unexpected settings. Elise co-founded Night On The Yard, a marketplace dedicated to ending the hidden impact of incarceration, and her web3 impact agency, Sunrise Art Club. Her entrepreneurial spirit is matched by her dedication to community work, particularly with Chicago’s Boys and Girls Club, where she developed workshops and curriculums to equip young artists and entrepreneurs with essential skills.
Elise’s contributions extend beyond her professional achievements. She offers free tutorials, one-on-one mentoring, and shares her personal journey through various platforms, including a TEDx Talk, to advocate for mental health and inspire the next generation of creatives. Recognized globally as a creator driving culture on and offline, she has been featured on ABC as a Chicago social media superstar and chosen by George Clooney as his first influencer for Casamigos Instagram.
Todd Wilson
Todd Wilson, Creative Director. Todd is the creative lead for brand experience, design direction, and strategy. Todd has over 20 years of experience in branding, creative strategy, art direction, graphic design, and content development. Experienced with providing creative services to leading brands in multiple industries including arts & culture, entertainment, media, non-profit, and lifestyle. Todd holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from Purchase College, State University of New York.
