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Celebrating Graduating AE Seniors

As the end of the semester approaches, we are celebrating our graduating seniors. Congratulations to Madison Mead, Bella Goldwasser, Ashlynn Micoliczyk, Madilyn Duffy, Tony Laylon, and Ava Imholte for graduating from the Arts Entrepreneurship Department! Please watch this video here to learn more about a few of our graduates and their plans for after graduation.

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Best of luck to you all!

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Stephen Rueff’s Experiences on Sabbatical

Stephen Rueff is a professor in MCAD’s Arts Entrepreneurship department and was the AE department chair from 2015-2021. You can read more about his background here. Below Stephen shares what he’s been up to during his 2021-2022 sabbatical.

For the past 11 months I have been on sabbatical from MCAD, and have been missing MCAD students, peers, and our dynamic community. I have used the past academic year to rest, recharge, recenter, reconnect, research, and create.

My sabbatical began at a county museum in San Bernardino, CA in May 2021, where I was installing an exhibition I curated for my creative venture SuperMonster市City! This was followed by a rejuvenating road trip north along the coast, ending in Seattle. Along the way, I spent time at the ocean, among the Redwoods, on a silent retreat at a monastery, and reconnecting with West Coast friends before returning home to Minneapolis.

In June I completed the International Curatorial program offered by the Berlin-based NODE center. In this year-long program, I joined a cohort of curators from around the world to study the history of curation and explored various approaches to curating. In September 2021 I was appointed Arts Entrepreneur in Residence at the Finnovation Lab, a social entrepreneurship center and coworking space in Minneapolis. In my Finn-Lab studio I began to conceive of a new exhibition, applying my newly developed curatorial lens. For this project I moved away from contextualizing objects and explored the impulse to collect, leading me to research the history of collecting and a deep dive into topics of memory, nostalgia, and identity. I read academic papers, journals, books and met with scholars, curators, artists and neuroscientists.

By November I was overwhelmed with information, so I took a brief diversion from my research to write a 10,000-word collection of essays recounting numerous cross-country hitch-hiking trips for November’s National Novel Writing Month.

I also remained an active board member of the Society of Arts Entrepreneurship Educators and wrote a book review of the new Routledge publication The New Arts Entrepreneur by Gary Beckman, a leader in the Arts Entrepreneurship movement. My review will appear in the Journal of Arts Management, Law and Society later this year.

Returning to my exhibition project in December with fresh eyes, I spent the next few months developing Collecting Memories: A Love Story. This immersive exhibition features pop culture items and family artifacts from my SuperMonster市City! co-founder and collector David Barnhill. My creative collaborators are sound designer Emmy Carter and VR/AR expert Amir Berenjian. The exhibition opens April 28 and runs through May 8 at Squirrel Haus Arts in Minneapolis (SquirrelHausArts.com). Developing this exhibition helped me reconnect with my creative self, experiencing the joys of exploration and curiosity, and the vulnerability and humility inherent in the creative process.

In May, I will join a group of scholars, artists and entrepreneurs on a week-long academic study trip to Cuba, focusing on cultural entrepreneurship.

My sabbatical provided me with an opportunity to reconnect with my creative self and recenter my identity as a creative practitioner. I am re-energized and excited to return to MCAD this fall as an active member of our creative and intellectually curious community.

Written by Stephen Rueff

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Thank you, Stephen!

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Guest Speaker: Heather Willems

The AE Department hosted a workshop about visual note taking with guest speaker Heather Willems. 

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Heather Willems is a business strategy consultant, graphic facilitator, and bestselling co-author of Draw Your Big Idea. Combining her love of fine art and business strategy, she helps top executives operate more efficiently through creativity. She guides the world’s most influential companies to visualize their biggest ideas. The result, a long-lasting transparent action plan that engages in a memorable way.

After 15 years of witnessing breakthroughs with clients, she wants to help more people achieve their goals. As Founder of TwoLine Studios, and Co-founder of ImageThink, she visualized big ideas for thought leaders and companies including Disney, J&J, PepsiCo, FedEx, Google, LEGO, and NASA. Her work has been featured on The Today Show, MSNBC, Entrepreneur Magazine, Inc., Forbes, Mashable, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal.

Whether she’s leading one-on-one executive training or speaking about visual thinking, she has a passion for making connections. She’s spoken at and collaborated with The Atlantic, SXSW, New York Times Small Business Summit, Columbia University, Texas Conference for Women, Comic-con, and many more.

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“Visual note taking is about communicating ideas through things as simple as a squiggle, line, or a shape.”

-Heather Willems

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Heather Willems facilitated a workshop with AE students and faculty that provided resources for going about situations of uncertainty and decision making. She described the importance of play when communicating big ideas. Specifically through the tool of drawing simple, descriptive shapes. Willems stated, “Playing creates bigger ideas, problem solving, and relieves tension.” Furthermore, drawing nonsensically when note taking brings people into a deeper state of understanding that offers a sense of clarity and elevated ideas.

Willems went on to describe different tools she has created in her book Draw Your Big Idea: The Ultimate Creativity Tool for Turning Thoughts Into Action and Dreams Into Reality. In the fifty minute workshop, we practiced two tools presented in the book called The Anti-Bucket List and Pros and Prose. The Anti-Bucket List is about lessening your worries in life through the process of writing things down through visual note taking. Willems gave an example regarding running a marathon. She said that you may have a goal of running a marathon, and that it can become overwhelming when you have a long list of other tasks to complete. Writing the task down on an Anti-Bucket List can put the goal aside for the time being for you to revisit at a later date. In turn, this process reduces stress. As for the Pros and Prose tool, it works to help you dream big on your ideas. Ask yourself, what is the best scenario that could happen? This helps you strive for more than what is safe or realistic. This tool promotes expansive decision making.

Willems ended the workshop by stating, “Our mind doesn’t know the difference between something that is vividly imagined versus actual lived experiences. Step into the reality of your dreams.”

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For more information about Heather Willems work, please visit her website and sign up for her newsletter here.

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Thank you Heather for presenting to the AE Department!

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Student Feature: JT Marshall

What is your major and year of study?

Freshman, AE

What is your creative practice?

Multidisciplinary Graphic Designer & Creative Director 

What has been the most insightful piece of knowledge you have learned at MCAD?

Finding the value in being able to produce ideas on a weekly basis. MCAD is not your typical University/College; MCAD challenges you in ways that are liberating. The culture is set for artists to have agency over their crafts and paths. 

Tell us about your favorite creative work that you have made?

For a few months, I have been leaning into digital illustration. This focus has been tons of fun! I incorporate bold and bright colors and portraits that highlight black futurism with an abstraction influence. 

What has been your favorite class at MCAD? Why? 

Media 1: Leslie Grant has inspired me to extend my creative palette and consider so many ways of expression through art. 

What do you intend to pursue after graduation?

I hope to cultivate spaces and opportunities for minority artists and creatives though products and services. I also hope to continue my pursuit as a creative director, working in multiple facets of the media industry. 

Where can we view your work?

Instagram: @jtmarshall_ 

Behance: Here.

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Student Feature: Darryl C. Thomas III

What is your major and year of study?

I am a senior in the Arts Entrepreneurship program. 

What is your creative practice?

My creative practices are visual mixed media and culinary arts.

What has been the most insightful piece of knowledge you have learned at MCAD?

The most insightful piece of knowledge I have learned here at MCAD - creative thinking and innovation is needed more than ever to create social, environmental, and economic change.

Tell us about your favorite creative work that you have made?

I think my favorite work has been a public mural in 2021, Lynlake MPLS. I also have really been enjoying my mixed media paintings, and printmaking. After learning printmaking techniques, I have incorporated many of them into my paintings.

What has been your favorite class at MCAD? Why?

One of my favorite classes I had here at MCAD was a class called printmaking in the public sphere taught by Natasha Pietstech. This class was great for me because it was a collaborative studio class with community art based research, guest speakers, and goal driven projects.

What do you intend to pursue after graduation?

I intend to continue my art studio practice, along with the pursuit of cooking and business management. I want to study more economics, learn bookkeeping, and finances. I plan to begin a cannabis infused restaurant in Minneapolis, that educates and pays reparations to people, and communities who suffer from the prolonged effects of the “War on Drugs” era. This restaurant will educate, and inspire its guests to think about food, medicine, and cannabis differently. My hopes are to uplift and support BIPOC people in the Twin Cities.

Where can we view your work?

Instagram: dct3visual.art 

Website: https://dct3art.com/

Thank you, Darryl!

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Student Feature: Ashlynn Micoliczyk

What is your major and year of study?

I am graduating in May of 2022 as an Entrepreneurial Studies Major and Advertising Minor.

What is your creative practice?

My creative practice is graphic design with a 3D emphasis.

What has been the most insightful piece of knowledge you have learned at MCAD?

Remain curious. Ask good questions. 

Tell us about your favorite creative work that you have made?

One of my recent favorites is this brand design for a tea cafe. The objective was to develop the look and feel of a brand that is easily recognizable and transferable to multiple promotional materials. Of course I chose tea. There are so many intimate conversations that happen over tea. 

What has been your favorite class at MCAD? Why?

There are so many great classes, but I would have to choose Introduction to Advertising. The projects were exciting and unique both subject and process wise. I was able to work with some fantastic creative teammates to create some strong client work. It was one of the most fulfilling processes. All the teammates, and myself took Integrated Advertising to work together again. 

What do you intend to pursue after graduation?

Creative practices are always evolving, as of now I have an interest in creative strategy/brand planning and project management. 

Where can we view your work?

https://ashlynnmic.wixsite.com/my-site 

Thank you, Ashlynn!

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Faculty Speaker: Arlene Birt

Professor David Ly invited Interim Chair of the Arts Entrepreneurship Department, Arlene Birt, to discuss her career in information design to his class Aesthetics of Sustainability.

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Arlene Birt is an infodesigner, visual storyteller, public artist, and educator. She runs Background Stories, an infodesign consultancy that translates complex ideas, systems, and metrics into clear visuals to help people (especially non-experts) understand sustainability.

Her work visually explains the stories behind products and places, incorporating behavioral psychology to help individuals connect emotionally to seemingly distant environmental topics.

Birt is invited to speak internationally and works with organizations in the U.S., E.U., and U.K. Her work and public art—which rides the line between art and communication—has been featured in numerous publications.

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Arlene Birt began her presentation by discussing her most recent project with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The United Nations' IPCC is made up of 195 government members. The IPCC formulates scientific reports that assess the science on climate change every seven years. In order to thoroughly create these documents, information designers are brought in to help visualize the data findings. Birt, with support by her team at Background Stories, are working on the Synthesis Report for IPCC. This process involves collaborating with scientists around the world in order to reach a shared understanding of how to visually communicate aspects of the latest science on climate change. Birt described the importance of information design in explaining this topic through stating, “The world needs our creativity to help it become a more sustainable place.” The report has not been finalized, but is set to be available for the public later this year.

Birt transitioned into discussing her business practices and client relationships. She began by sharing advice on how to find client work. Through requests for proposals, presentations, and building client relationships, she has been able to form an extensive client list. Next, Birt gave advice on working with clients. She described the importance of timelines, scope of work documents, and target audiences. Timelines should have a buffer week incase issues arise. Therefore, projects can be successfully executed if they get pushed back. A clear scope of work document with a client’s signature is essential before starting a project to ensure that both teams are on the same page. Lastly, discussing target audiences with your client is important in producing a successful project outcome. This information can help the project reach the clients goals.

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Thank you Arlene for presenting to the Aesthetics of Sustainability class!

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A Students Tips for Working with Clients

The Arts Entrepreneurship program at MCAD provides students with the opportunity to work with real world clients. As a student at MCAD in the Entrepreneurial Studies program, I have one or two client projects per semester. The experience I have gained from working with clients while in school has been unmeasurable. Here are a few tips I would give other students when working with clients on a project based on my personal experiences.

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1. Communicate Regularly and Efficiently

When working on a client project as a student, it can become hectic when balancing five other classes. I like to make sure that I check-in with the client on a regular basis to ensure that we both are comfortable with where the project is at. If we have a client check-in meeting that week, I will send out an agenda before the meeting that goes over what will be discussed and how long it will take, and a recap following the meeting that briefly goes over the topics we discussed and follow-up actions and notes. If there is not a scheduled meeting that week I will send a progress report that identifies the standings of the project. I always make sure to respond within 24 hours to all client emails. 

2. Ask Questions

The clients project ask can sometimes lack direction and clarity in the beginning stages of a project. During the stakeholder interview, it is important to ask as many clarifying questions as possible to fully grasp the project’s scope. I ask questions that I like to call “wondering questions”. These questions involve wordage like, “Can you elaborate more on...” or, “To make sure I am understanding correctly...”. When asking questions it is important to have the intention of working toward a clear understanding. Having a defined direction at the start of the project can eliminate misunderstandings in the future.

3. Build Your Network

MCAD is a great place to build connections with classmates, professors, and clients. All individuals collaborate in making a successful client project. I personally make sure to send thank you notes to all parties when a project concludes. I connect with classmates, professors, and client stakeholders on LinkedIn to stay updated on each others professional careers. Building your network can increase your knowledge of future job opportunities and stay in touch with collaborators from past projects. As I have learned at MCAD, you network is your net worth.

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These are a few tips that I have learned from working on client projects at MCAD.

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Summary of Visiting Artist Lecture: HeHe

Sponsored by the Arts Entrepreneurship Department.

HeHe is an artist duo consisting of Helen Evans (French, British) and Heiko Hansen (German) based in Le Havre, France.

HeHe makes artwork about the social, industrial, and ecological paradoxes found in today’s landscapes. Their practice explores the relationship between the individual and their urban environment. Using a variety of media, HeHe reverse cultural engineers established links between society and technological progress. Their performance installations are placed in real-world environments or eerie staged settings and become theatrical devices. With humor, romance and ingenuity, their work opens alternative readings to the narrative of ecology and industry.

HeHe has installed large-scale works in public space and created site-specific performances. Bridging between media arts, design, and contemporary art, they have exhibited and worked in many cultural, academic, and research contexts in France and internationally. Their work is present in public and private collections. HeHe is represented by the gallery Aeroplastics Contemporary in Bruxelles.

Both Helen and Heiko are teaching at the École Supérieur d'Art et Design du Havre where they initiated and are responsible for the Master unit Art Media Environment.

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Heiko Hansen, half of the HeHe artist duo, presented their inspiring public art that works to define relationships between industry and our natural world. Hansen began the lecture by discussing HeHe’s��Train Project. This project originates back to the beginning of the HeHe duo, and occurred in Paris, France. The project consisted of a train, constructed by HeHe, that rode along the La Petite Ceinture, an abandoned railway that surrounds the city of Paris. The project took ten years to develop. This is where HeHe began using the idea of trains to form a larger conversation around industry and natural landscapes. In Hansen’s lecture he stated that this project raised the question, “How can we as artists engage with an idea so large?” This question followed HeHe into future projects.

The Train Project was brought to many different parts of the world. Hansen described variations of the installation taking place in New York, Istanbul, Manchester, and Drenthe. Each project began through identifying a specific cultural icon to base the train’s design from depending on the city it was being displayed in. Hansen described that the inspiration for each project came from a unique characteristic derived from each place. These cultural icons were deconstructed into technology that worked as trains. Hansen described this as, “... reversing cultural engineering.” The latest train project, Slow Train, is on display in Drenthe, Netherlands (pictured above). The installation consisted of a mirrored train on a wooden track.

Lastly, Hansen described a more recent project titled Man-Made Clouds. HeHe projected a green light onto the largest incinerators in Paris. The project comments on air pollution put off by large factories. As Hansen stated, “... this activist work sparked conversation of air pollution around the world.” HeHe continued making public art surrounding the topic of air pollution following this project.

Check out more of HeHe’s work here.

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Thank you HeHe for presenting to the MCAD community!

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Entrepreneurial Studies Alumni Interview: Nora Kubiaczyk

Tell us about what you are doing currently?

I’m a Senior Account Manager for a full-service advertising agency called Haberman. 

Where are you currently?

Minneapolis, MN.

What does your day-to-day look like?

Day-to-day is a mixture of any number of things! Mainly it’s a lot of answering emails and going to meetings - but the topics of those can range from timelines, to finance, onto creative review and strategy development; it brings a lot of variety to the day. Not to mention there’s occasional anomalies like going on production, or traveling for research that can really shake things up. 

Tell us about your favorite part of what you’re working on now.

My favorite part of my role is that I get to be a part of the process from start to finish. I love being able to see a client go from an abstract business problem/goal, through strategic development, all the way onto a campaign that’s live in the real world and starts reporting performance. It’s especially great at Haberman because we’re a mission-driven agency - meaning we only work with companies/brands that are doing some sort of good for the world. 

What has been your experience after graduating from MCAD’s Entrepreneurial Studies program?

I’ve been incredibly fortunate in all of my experiences post-grad. After landing my first job in advertising it really was an accelerated learning curve. That agency provided me with resources, connections, mentors and friends that I still cherish today. I even ended up at Haberman because of an old boss that stayed in touch after we’d both jumped around to different shops. 

How has your experience at MCAD informed what you are now doing?

The Entrepreneurial Studies program is a great mix of “do with it what you’d like.” Any field or endeavor could benefit from the creative problem solving structures we discuss in the majority of ES classes. Ultimately, I think it set me up for success in the field of advertising - particularly account management - because it’s a creative industry within business parameters, so it really scratches both my left and right brain. 

What your next steps (or the next big thing for you)?

Continued growth. I’m looking forward to expanding responsibilities within my agency, and also exploring what advertising means for our current times and beyond. I’d also love to start traveling again, but that’s another story. 

Can you share some pictures with us?

The agency (Haberman) at our communal garden plot; we partner with a farm in Delano and do team off-sites in the summer to tend to the garden & harvest weekly bounties. Resulting in an agency CSA of fresh produce! 

View the sizzle reel of 2021 ads & BTS at Haberman, here.

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Reflection of Visiting Artist Lecture: Angela Morelli

Sponsored by the Arts Entrepreneurship Department.

Angela Morelli is an award-winning information designer based in Norway. She is the co-founder and CEO of InfoDesignLab. After a degree in Engineering from Politecnico di Milano and an MA in Industrial Design, she gained her MA in Information Design from Central St Martins in London and a Postgraduate Certificate for teaching in Higher Education.

She is an acclaimed international speaker, an Associate Lecturer at Central St Martins in London and a visiting lecturer in universities in Europe. She has been collaborating with research organizations for the past 15 years, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the Water Footprint Network, the European Environment Agency and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.

Angela firmly believes that information design can play an extraordinary role in democratizing knowledge, explaining complexity and facilitating understanding. She has been jury member of the International Institute of Information Design Award, and along with philanthropist Paul Polak, ethologist Jane Goodall, water scientist Tony Allan and other individuals committed to defend planetary ecosystems, she has been awarded Il Monito del Giardino Award in 2013. Angela was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.

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“Information is powerful only if it can be understood.” This statement is how Morelli began her inspiring lecture to the MCAD community. Morelli passionately discussed her goal of making complex knowledge accessible for all audiences. She makes this goal tangible through information design. She began her presentation through acknowledging the participatory nature of information design, and that it is vital orchestrate audience participation throughout the process. Morelli described that information design begins with knowing your stakeholders, audience needs, and the interests of collaborators. She stated information design as “... helping people make informed decisions.”

The next topic Morelli focused on is “How Do You Do What You Do?” Through consistently co-designing with scientists and audiences, Morelli shares that reaching the mind of the person is the most important thing of all. She continues to state that through understanding the context of how information is being processed, she can better design a final deliverable. This process of forming a deliverable to be read by wide audiences happens in several steps; researching, data collection, organization, information, presentation, knowledge, reflection, wisdom, action, and change. Morelli offered a case study of her experience at The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to thoroughly visualize this process. The objective of the project was to visually design information about climate change for policyholders to read. Morelli stated, “The reports are for policymakers, drafted by scientists, and designed by infographic designers.” She continues to describe the process as less about designing visuals, and more about the learning journey, “... that the steps we take now are crucial in terms of climate change.” After submitting three separate drafts for experts and government officials to review, her team received 42,001 comments. Through technical support, Morelli was able to streamline the review process to consider all comments made by the collaborators and audience to improve the infographics further.

Lastly, Morelli discussed her infamous project, “The Water We Eat”. Constructed during a thesis project, Morelli designed a visual representation of the amount of water used for different needs. For example, industrial needs, domestic needs, and water needed for food. This nine month project juxtaposes verbal communication and diagrams to explore information. During this section of her lecture, Morelli stated, “I was writing for people to see.” This describes her continued effort to deeply understand her audiences needs, and take that into consideration throughout the design process. She then presented testimonies from audience members that were impacted through the project including teachers, scientists, and policymakers. Morelli concluded her presentation through stating, “Meet audiences where they are. We need to co-design with experts and embrace the audiences needs from the start.”

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Thank you Angela Morelli for presenting to the MCAD community!

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New Faculty Profile: Sara Pedersen

Sara Pedersen is a new faculty member in the Arts Entrepreneurship Department at MCAD. She is teaching Design for the Human Body, PD3030, this semester. We asked Sara about her career journey, teaching at MCAD, and other questions our AE Communications team was interested in hearing more about.

What is your academic training and professional background?

“I have an BS in Industrial Design from the University of Cincinnati. I have been working at Target for the last 14 years creating product for the stores, and developing the in store experiences. I have also taught at University of Minnesota in the Product Design Major.”

What class are you teaching this semester and what is it about?

“I am teaching PD3030, Design for the Human Body. We are focused on User Centered Design practices and how to apply them to our practical work.”

What do you enjoy about teaching at MCAD?

“The students are the best part of the job. I love it when they finally get a concept and you can see the light bulb go off. I also love that they aren't afraid to use all of their creative skills and prototype.”

Do you have a creative practice you do professionally or for fun?

“Teaching is my creative outlet from my corporate job :).”

What advice do you have for students who are preparing to start a professional creative life?

“At the beginning of your career, you are rarely really good at anything, so sell what you are good at. Talk about your work ethic, how you learn fast, how you can figure out any computer program, how you will try anything. Every person I hire out of school needs training on how that company does things. So be skilled at learning new things and willing to try different processes. A can do, hard working attitude will get you far.”

Is there any additional information you would like to include about yourself?

“I hosted a talk last year, 100 days after the death of George Floyd, to talk about what we can do as designers to encourage more BIPOC people to join the industry. Here is a link to the talk.”

Welcome to MCAD, Sara!

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Observing The Unprecedented

We invited faculty, alumni, and students of MCAD’s Arts Entrepreneurship department to collaborate on an exhibition that examines unprecedented moments. The Arts Entrepreneurship Fall 2021 exhibition, Observing the Unprecedented, is a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This reflective gallery shows works from Arlene Birt, Adam Smith, Ashlynn Micoliczyk, and Nancy Rice. Each piece examines The Unprecedented through a unique lens that all connect through the act of observing.

The gallery was available for viewing from September 28th, 2021 through October 3rd, 2021.

Curators Note

“When first coming together to begin planning Observing the Unprecedented, the AE Communications team was seeing each other in person for the first time in over a year and a half. As we recently were back on the MCAD campus for classes, some of us only knew each other through a small window on our computer screens. This exhibition was an overwhelming positive experience from working with the incredible AE Communications team to installing the work of inspiring artists. I am ecstatic with the outcome of the exhibition, and the connections I made during the process.”

- Kamryn Friedrich

Video Walkthrough

View here.

Curation and Installation: Kamryn Friedrich

Host: Madison Mead

Video Production: Justin Lees

Graphic Design: Hallie Holtz

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PitchFest Virtual Award Night

All are welcome join us for MCAD PitchFest 2021 award night, on April 14, 5:00-6:30pm. Register for event here: mcad.edu/attendpitchfest

PitchFest brings together MCAD students’ ideas for creative ventures with the opportunity to present them to industry leaders and win prize money. This is the only competition of its kind in the upper Midwest specifically for artists and designers.

11 finalists were paired with creative professionals, who mentored the students to hone their business ventures. Awards will be determined by an international panel of jurors that includes entrepreneurs, authors, artists, alumni, and supporters of MCAD. Prizes totaling $10,000 will be given at a virtual event

check out the creative businesses ideas in an online gallery at mcad.edu/pitchfestgallery and vote for audience favorite.

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2021 PITCHFEST FINALISTS

The complete gallery of pitch videos will be posted this Friday, March 26 at mcad.edu/pitchfestgallery. Make sure to tell your friends and family to check it out too!

Get involved and vote for your favorite finalist by April 13! 

PitchFest Awards Night, Wednesday April 14 from 5-6:30pm. this is a virtual live event where finalists will present summaries and answer questions from our juror panel of industry professionals. At the end we will present prizes totaling $10,000. Attend at mcad.edu/attendpitchfest

for more information visit: mcad.edu/event/pitchfest-2021

Posted Below is are summaries of each PitchFest Finalist for 2021!

Aaron Matthew Panaligan: Magkaisa  - Mentor: Marcq Sung

Magkaisa is an immersive encounter working in the themed entertainment industry. Our mission is to cultivate a welcoming space that emulates the warm environment of multi-family Filipino get togethers. Through a space that provides room for healthy cross cultural discourse, we celebrate Filipino food, teach about societal customs, and form intimate relationships.

Alyssa Cavanaugh: Let’s Figure This Shit Out Together - Mentor: Jes Rosenberg

MotherBeth is part of a larger vision that began with the podcast "Let's Figure This Shit Out Together” and follows a mission to encourage others to find beauty and strength in healing through vulnerability. It’s a bracelet designed with grounding stones to bring you down—in a good way.

Andres Nelson: SABER Magazine - Mentor: Mike Jackson

Founded in 2017, SABER Magazine is a platform for all artists to display their talents and passions. We release a seasonal arts and culture magazine featuring work from contemporary creatives, as well as creating original content, hosting events, and sharing compelling stories to promote any and all types of art! . 

Hannah Schulte: The Clothing Collective - Mentor: Caitlin Sidey

The Clothing Collective is a community-driven online platform for like-minded individuals looking to revamp their wardrobe and support local designers while also lessening the environmental and social impacts of fast fashion. 

Kyle Viker: Kyle Viker Photo Co. - Mentor: Mac Plumstead

Kyle Viker Photo Co. helps to create a strong brand identity for businesses who want to convey a powerful visual impression through creative photography and expertise in color science.

Logan Beecher: Wizard Marley and the Search for the Blue Crystal - Mentor: John Bivens

Wizard Marley and the Search for the Blue Crystal is a whimsical search-and-find book for children and parents to enjoy together. Featuring charming and humorous fantasy illustrations, the book encourages imagination and a love of the arts.

Madison Mead: Outlier Studio - Mentor: Madelin Snyder

Outlier Studio is an atypical production space that features immersive, experiential set designs and provides an opportunity for creatives of all backgrounds and abilities to produce work that stands out. Through rotating set designs, accessible memberships, and community events, Outlier fosters a collaborative network of diverse, cutting edge creators. 

Rosa Gastelum, Jori Walton and Roxy Montoya: Mixed Bag Studio - Mentor: Elliott Payne

Mixed Bag Studio is an art gallery and studio that features minorities and people with marginalized identities, offering an accessible entrance point for younger artists and artists of color.

Rylan Poldberg: Crone & Company Metaphysical - Mentor: Aneela Idnani

Crone & Company Metaphysical creates small-batch handmade spell candles in reusable vessels crafted by local artists.

Scout Bennett: Scout Bennet Art - Mentor: Monica Larson

Scout Bennett Art is a solopreneurship selling pins, charms, stickers, washi tape, stationery, and apparel inspired by Japanese street fashion, character design, and cute-culture. 

Sydney Abbott and Avery Beltrand: Fellow Feeling - Mentor: Tim Brunelle

Fellow Feeling is a small business focused on hand making objects for the home, fostering a sense of community as well as sustainable artisan-made creations.

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WIDE AWAKE: Confessions of the Dreamers

Each semester, MCAD’s Arts Entrepreneurship department host’s a student and alumni exhibition. 

"Wide Awake" focuses on healing, empathy, and waking up from the haze of the past year with hopes and dreams for the future.

Stay connected in this time of physical distancing by sharing and enjoying the creative work of your community! The Spring Arts Entrepreneurship Exhibition will feature work by current AE Department students majoring in Product Design or Entrepreneurial Studies, and minoring in Advertising or Entrepreneurship. Additional works by alumni from Entrepreneurial Studies, Advertising, BSc, and Visualization programs.

Opening:

6:00 PM: Instagram TV: MCAD_ae

6:45 PM: Facebook: facebook.com/AEmcad

Curatorial Team:

Entrepreneurial Studies majors Kamryn Friedrich, Ashlyn Micoliczyk, Lux Fabre, and Kyle Viker

AE Communications Team:

Hannah Schulte, Tamar Patterson, Madison Mead, and Lux Fabre

Support and Coordination:

AE MFA Graduate Assistant Susan Fink

Please note that the MCAD campus is operating under limited access. Call MCAD Public Safety for more info: 612-874-3700

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An Interview With 2019 PitchFest Winner; Studio Lumo

Thinking about applying for PitchFest 2021? This is what Studio Lumo, winner of 2019 PitchFest, had to say about their experience.

What was your initial idea? How did it evolve? 

-The initial idea was a studio where we could work on the projects we wanted to do. We had started doing that in our MCAD classes and found we could make bigger and more elaborate animations together. It evolved into an idea where we take on client work to fund our studio projects which expanded to include games as well as animations and comics.

What was your experience of working with your mentor?

We met with our mentors roughly three times before PitchFest. Each time we arrived with more of our pitch fleshed out, more answers to questions prepared, etc. We practiced giving the pitch at each meeting. Though at the first meeting we hadn't fully figured the whole idea out yet, it helped to give those rough draft speeches because we came up with things to add to it on the spot and became more confident with our idea. It was also a great way to help our public speaking. We communicated regularly via email with our mentors, asking questions, and getting feedback as we developed the pitch.

What was it like preparing for PitchFest and presenting your idea?

It was stressful, but a lot of fun. We ended up applying for the PitchFest extremely last minute. We didn't even think we qualified to partake until 3 days before the initial application was due. One of us was also moving at the time so we filmed and wrote up our entire application sitting in an empty apartment surrounded by moving boxes and using our phones as hotspots. It was a bit of a mad dash but fortunately, we'd already had the idea for a while, we just needed to get it out on paper. The rest of the preparations felt equally rushed, we only had the month between applying and the event to write up and make almost everything from scratch. From the start we viewed the whole experience as a good way to learn to write a pitch and learn from our mentors more than anything else, we were extremely happy and just a little bit shocked when we found out we won.

What support did you receive afterward?

We have received a lot of support from various mentors, teachers, and peers after the fest. Stephen was very helpful early on with advice for opening accounts now that we had funding. We've also been able to seek advice from other members of Minneapolis's animation community on seeking out legal aid, setting up a business, and things to do going forward. Finally, a lot of our teachers still support us when we have questions about opportunities we are thinking about pursuing but unsure of.

Did you move your idea forward? 

We have been moving our idea forward, slowly. It took some time for the whole team to finish at MCAD and since then we've been chipping away at our game as well as trying to build up a reputation to get paid client projects so we can use the funds from those to continue funding our work. It's been slow but a rewarding journey.

Is there anything you would say to encourage others to apply?

Just go for it and give it your all. We honestly did not think we'd win given we'd only learned we could apply a few days before the deadline and it was only a scramble to catch up from that point forward. We just worked as hard as we could during the time that we had, prepared as best we could, and apparently pulled it off quite well which wouldn't have happened if we'd just given up before even attempting it.