Me In Sunny Carolina: November 2012

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Counting our blessings

Today I am so thankful to be in South Carolina. Our lives have changed significantly and I am thankful for every single change. Day by day, we settle into our new lives here and we see glimpses of "normal" after the last two years of transition. People are still in awe of our story and frankly, I am just beginning to understand why the typical reaction is "Wow!" We have obviously had some super-hero power keeping us going, some inexplicable strength, and, in hindsight, I must admit a smidge of insanity. We doubted along the way when we would succeed but we knew it would happen eventually. Now, we can't believe we got here so quickly...that we are really here. Very thankful, indeed.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Converse Thus Far

Converse's new School of the Arts brings together three departments. Communication was needed to give each department a voice under the one umbrella. This roll-fold brochure creates a highly visible recruiting tool whether it arrives by mail at a prospective student's home or is personally handed to them at an event.

The new Converse viewbook (overview booklet) was led by a focus group I developed with current students to determine what attracted them to Converse when they were college shopping. The result is a college viewbook that focuses on stories, a series of student profiles that touch on different aspects of Converse. Design and production involved interviews and photo sessions with profiled students. I then edited the interviews and paired each student with the corresponding information that the student best illustrated.

The theme for the upcoming reunion was born from the success of our photo booth at the 2012 reunion. I took the shot of alumnae in the booth and then used actual photos from the booth archive that were made during our event. This is the "Save the Date" postcard that had a magnet reminder adhered to the back. My research of past reunion promotions showed a failure to promote the FUN factor so my goal has been to infuse fun in every reunion reference.

I incorporated the Converse Valkyries mascot into a logo I created for TAPP (Touching Alumnae Peer-to-Peer) for a calling campaign that involved alumnae reaching out to classmates to contribute to the annual fund. This will be a yearly event we are calling "Annual FUN."

I made a collection of "medals" to award to our TAPPers. We increased alumnae giving by almost 300 gifts.

References

I have known and worked for Cindy Faber Smith since 1998 when she, as the art director for Science magazine, commissioned me to do the cover art for the magazine. It was a bit of a surprise since my artwork is geared towards the children’s market. Typical of Cindy, she wanted to bring a different approach to that month’s cover of a rather dry, technical publication. What at first seemed to be a rather impossible assignment (a “hidden picture” type of piece, incorporating many diverse elements) turned out to be one of the most satisfying assignments I have had in my career. She contacted me again a couple of years later with another fresh approach to the cover art utilizing the red queen from Alice in Wonderland as the theme.

I was surprised, when a few years later, she contacted me as the new art director of Highlights. As a child I had a subscription to Highlights, so I had quite an affection for this magazine. Cindy has brought her many skills as a designer to give this 60+ year-old magazine a fresher, more updated look, while still keeping the trademark Highlights style.

Working with Cindy is always a pleasure. She is simply the best art director I have worked with in my 30-year career. She does not over direct and she allows the artist enough freedom to make them feel that they are adding something of their own selves to the illustrations. She is not heavy handed with her suggestions which produces a very positive collaboration.

Because Highlights hosts an annual party for their illustrators, I finally was able to meet Cindy in person. She is a delightful person, filled with humor, intelligence and warmth. I cannot sing her praises more boldly.

David Galchutt

Illustrator

I’ve known Cindy Smith for 25 years. Over the years, I’ve come to rely on her for her humor, earnestness, and enthusiasm in countless situations.

Aside from being an artist, she is a keen observer who thrives on the challenge of dissecting problems and always seems to find a creative solution. She also has the ability to guide others in solving problems that seem insurmountable. In many ways, I’ve become a better person through observing her at work, in our community, and at play.

I admire the way Cindy experiences life and am proud to count her among my closest and most trusted friends. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her for any job. I know she would embrace any challenge and undoubtly rise to any occasion.

Sincerely,
Dolores Motichka

“In the cynical world of illustration, I hold Cindy as a ray of light, a turning point in my hopes of a career in illustration. The über belief she had in my work encouraged me to chase after my dreams. My illustrations have now appeared in The New Yorker, for Major League Baseball, in hosts of magazines and children’s books.”

David Leonard