2023 SEGD Graffiti to Graphics - Part 1 | Society for Experiential Graphic Design

Event Details

Part 1 - December 7th

11:30 am ET - 3:15 pm ET

Please Note: All times listed in the agenda are for Eastern Time.

Join us as we honor the 50th anniversary of both Hip Hop culture and SEGD. We will trace the transformative journey of Hip Hop from its humble beginnings to its widespread impact on design worldwide. Through this virtual event, experience a curated convergence of historical insights and future-forward dialogue with Hip Hop pioneers, EGD innovators, place-makers, and creative minds from museum and graphic design sectors. Engage with powerful presentations and panel discussions that capture the synergy between Hip Hop's vibrant culture and the evolution of design. This virtual event promises a celebration of the past, a reflection on the present, and a visionary look into the future of how Hip Hop continues to shape the fabric of design.

Agenda

December 7, 2023

Main Schedule

11:30 AM - 11:35 AM

Welcome and Introduction to Day 1

Please Note: All times listed in the agenda are for Eastern Time.

Cybelle Jones, CEO of SEGD

11:35 AM - 11:40 AM

Hip Hop + SEGD 50

Dayton Schroeter, Vice President and National Design Director at SmithGroup

Andy Outis, Principal and Creative Director of Shift7.Studio

Dayton Schroeter (Vice President and National Design Director of SmithGroup)

11:40 AM - 12:10 PM

The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century

Dayton Schroeter, Vice President and National Design Director at SmithGroup

Gamynne Guillotte, Chief Education and Public Engagement Officer at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

Andréa Purnell, Audience Development Manager and Co-curator for "The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21 Century" at the Saint Louis Art Museum

Gamynne Guillotte (Chief Education and Public Engagement Officer at San Francisco Museum of Modern Art)

Andréa Purnell (Audience Development Manager and Co-curator for The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21 Century at Saint Louis Art Museum)

12:10 PM - 12:30 PM

Design Roots: Hip Hop Over Bauhaus

Kaleena Sales, Department Chair & Associate Professor of Design at Tennessee State University

12:30 PM - 12:45 PM

Panel/Q&A

Coleman A. Jordan, Assistant Professor of Architecture at Morgan State University

12:45 PM - 1:10 PM

Dreamscapes and Legacies: Visualizing the African Diaspora Through Experiential Design

Fitgi Saint-Louis, Artist, Designer, and Educator

Fitgi Saint-Louis (Artist, Designer, Educator)

1:10 PM - 1:30 PM

Q&A

L'Rai (Arthur-Mensah) Mathis, Executive Account Director of Local Projects

L'Rai Arthur-Mensah (Executive Account Director of Local Projects)

1:30 PM - 1:45 PM

Community Share: What is Your Hip Hop/Design Influence Moment?

Andy Outis, Principal and Creative Director at Shift7.Studio

1:45 PM - 2:30 PM

Designing Dreams: A Journey from Graffiti to Grammy Awards

Julian Alexander, Founder of Slang Inc.

2:30 PM - 3:00 PM

Quantel Paintbox: Blending Hip Hop, Visual Artistry, and Digital Innovation

Adrian Wilson, Photographer and Artist at Interior Photography Inc.

3:00 PM - 3:15 PM

Closing

Cybelle Jones, CEO of SEGD

Speakers

Dayton Schroeter

Vice President and National Design Director of SmithGroup

Andy Outis

Principal and Creative Director of Shift7.Studio

Cybelle Jones

CEO of SEGD

Christian Acker

Founder of Handselecta

Julian Alexander

Artist at Slang Inc.

L'Rai Arthur-Mensah

Executive Account Director of Local Projects

Brandon "Eazee" Banks

Creative Consultant at Eazee Street

Masood Bukhari

Design Lead at Unagi Scooters

Gamynne Guillotte

Chief Education and Public Engagement Officer at San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

Coleman A. Jordan

Assistant Professor of Architecture at Morgan State University

Greg Lamarche

Artist at Greg Lamarche Studio

Kela Lester

DC Design Week Executive Chair at AIGA DC

Tajai Massey

Designer/MC at Sabi Design Build/Hieroglyphics

Andréa Purnell

Audience Development Manager and Co-curator for The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21 Century at Saint Louis Art Museum

Fitgi Saint-Louis

Artist, Designer, Educator

Kaleena Sales

Department Chair & Associate Professor of Design at Tennessee State University

Tré Seals

Type Director of Vocal Type

Omari Souza

Design Researcher at University of North Texas

Kel Troughton

Type Designer and Graffiti Writer at Overlap Type

Adrian Wilson

Photographer and Artist at Interior Photography Inc.

Dayton Schroeter is a Vice President and National Design Director at Smithgroup, and SEGD Board Member. He is an Architect, social activist, exhibition designer and artist with over 20 years of experience championing ‘Design Justice’ advocacy. As a leader of the firm’s Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee, his charge is to lead design projects that address the systematic injustice that architecture and planning have perpetuated on historically disenfranchised communities of color. Leveraging his tenacious passion for design justice with authenticity and creativity, he is currently leading Antiracism efforts in design projects at all scales and typologies including cultural spaces, mixed use residential/commercial, higher education/science & tech and healthcare. One of his core beliefs is that design should avoid the traps of trend and fashion in exchange for a profound authenticity of time and place.

Dayton Schroeter's formative years were profoundly influenced by the raw and unapologetic narratives brewing from revolutionary Hip Hop. A culture born in the wake of the civil rights movement, less than 10 years after the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The powerful messages delivered by the likes of Public Enemy, Boogie Down Productions, and Melle Mel, imparted a sense of urgency and a call to action that would echo throughout his career. This early exposure to Hip Hop's blend of artistry and activism instilled in him a conviction that every form of expression, including architecture, has the responsibility to address and rectify social injustices.

A product of the 1990s Bay Area, Andy Outis has been steeped in hip hop culture for most of his life. Andy has been putting type in environments since he was 15 years old—first as a graffiti writer—and later, a designer. He was also a member of the Nameless & Faceless, an underground Bay Area rap group from 1995–2000.

Andy is now the Principal and Creative Director of Shift7.Studio, working across branding, motion, environments and storytelling for brands, non-profits, and individuals. He was previously the Creative Director of marketing and events at New York Magazine, where he led a team responsible for revenue-driving creative across brand marketing, events and custom content for New York Magazine and its digital verticals including The Cut and Vulture. Andy has amassed a deep experiential portfolio, having designed environments for The Vulture Festival, Vanity Fair’s New Establishment Summit, The Breakthrough Prize, Related Companies, and the upcoming Field of Light at Freedom Plaza. Andy is a graduate of the MFA Designer as Entrepreneur program at the School of Visual Arts and teaches at SVA and Pratt Institute. He lives and works in Brooklyn, NY.

Infusing over two decades of design excellence into her role as CEO of SEGD, Cybelle Jones is not just a leader but a passionate advocate for the transformative power of experience design. Firmly grounded in the conviction that design has the capability to engender positive change, Cybelle drives her multidisciplinary community to create experiences that intimately connect people with places.

As the helm of SEGD, a non-profit member organization, Cybelle champions education, innovation, and design excellence. She works tirelessly to inspire the design of more equitable, sustainable, and user-centric environments, reflecting her belief in the pivotal role design plays in shaping our world.

Before taking the reins at SEGD, Cybelle etched a notable career as Principal of G&A. Her 25+ year tenure saw her lead several acclaimed design projects, including the National WWII Museum, the International Spy Museum, and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum. These high-profile undertakings not only attest to her design prowess but also her ability to infuse creativity with strategic insights.

Cybelle’s influence extends beyond SEGD. As a thought leader, she has addressed audiences at prestigious forums like AAM, the V&A, FIT, AIGA, and MuseumNext. Her active involvement on various boards sees her push the boundaries of experience design, contributing to the evolution of the profession.

Driven by passion, guided by experience, and committed to innovation, Cybelle Jones is a beacon in the realm of design, illuminating the path to a more user-centric, equitable, and sustainable future.

Masood Bukhari is an award winning designer, entrepreneur and graffiti artist who established his independent design studio in 2007. He holds a BFA in Graphic Design from the California College of the Arts in San Francisco and a MFA in Design from the School of Visual Arts in New York City.

Masood has a passion for integrated branding, digital product and user interface design and has led design initiatives for agencies in the US and Switzerland. His focus has been on creating, managing and implementing integrated branding programs for a diverse roster of boutique clients including; Douglas Elliman, Brooklyn Brewery, Nick Graham Menswear, Max Mara, Neil Young / Pono, Blin.gy, CrunchFund, BulletProof Coffee, Hotel El Ganzo, Rag & Bone and Unagi Scooters.

In 2007 he was nominated by Milton Glaser to present at the AIGA National Design Conference in Denver. His work has been recognized internationally by leading design organizations and publications including Adbusters, AIGA, Graphis, How, Sappi, and the Type Directors Club.

Gamynne Guillotte is the newly appointed Leanne and George Roberts Chief Education and Community Engagement Officer at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA). She is responsible for anchoring the institution’s efforts to connect with a wide range of audiences through educational and public programs, in-gallery experiences, community partnerships and offsite collaborations. Previously, she was the Chief Education Officer at the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA), where she was responsible for interpretation, public programs, education, and public engagement. Prior to this, she was a designer at Los Angeles-based Narduli Studio, an interdisciplinary design firm with commissions in public art and architecture and developed public programs at the MAK Center for Art and Architecture. Guillotte has served on the Affiliates Board for the Program in Museums and Society at Johns Hopkins University, currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Association of Art Museum Interpretation (AAMI), and as a project contributor to the Museums as a Site for Social Action (MASS Action) initiative. Guillotte holds an M.Arch. from the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) and a B.A. with areas of concentration in Art History and Architectural History from Sarah Lawrence College.

coleman a. jordan [ebo] is an assistant professor at Morgan State University's School of Architecture & Urban Planning in Baltimore, Maryland. He is the principal of studio caj.e and also serves on the boards of the US Africa Collaborative in Washington D.C., and We Want Green Too in Detroit, Michigan. Jordan specializes in researching the spaces of the Black Atlantic, and Pan-African influences on design. In 2004, he curated the landmark exhibit, "HARLEM SPEAK: street signs and soapboxes," at the Studio Museum in Harlem. In 2021, he curated "We the 7" at the Venice Architecture Biennial and will exhibit "ReCall and Response" at the 2024 Venice Art Biennial, in Venice, Italy. Jordan's designs are inspired by Bebop, the political raps of Public Enemy, and George Clinton's P-Funk sounds. He blends these contexts within his designs with the historio-graphics of the Black Atlantic. Jordan hails from Cleveland, Ohio, where DJ Cochise was celebrated during his era of Hip Hop, while Bone Thugs-n-Harmony expanded their lyrics from the region, and Kid Cudi continues to represent the city's talent today.

Born in 1969 and raised in Queens, NY, Greg Lamarche started writing graffiti and making collages in 1981. After graduating from college in 1991, he published the seminal graffiti magazine Skills while living outside Boston. In 1995 Greg moved back to New York and worked at an art gallery in Soho for a few years before starting his own business. Since 1999 he has been working full-time as an artist and illustrator. Later in the 2000s he grew his business to include wall and mural painting. Greg’s art work has been shown in galleries all over the world and he has created site specific wall paintings in such cities as New York, Philadelphia, Venice, London, Montreal and Boston to name a few. Greg’s art work has also graced the pages of The New York Times, New York Magazine, Mass Appeal and he created the cover art for The ABCs of Style book. Greg has been profiled in numerous books and magazines such as The History of American Graffiti, World Piecebook, Juxtapoz, Modern Painters and Print Magazine and many more. His commercial business has thrived over the last several years and has worked for such prestigious clients as Nike, Shake Shack, Facebook, J Crew, IBM, Converse, Bloomingdales, Wilson Sports and most recently Warner Records.

I am a lifelong Oakland resident who has been active throughout the many phases of this city's development over the years. First, as a star student, youth orator, tutor and mentor. Then, as a world-renowned musician and independent musical entrepreneur with the groups Souls of Mischief and Hieroglyphics. Next, as an educator in the Oakland Unified School district. Currently, in my chosen path of architecture, I use all of my experiences to help develop housing and small businesses, participate in job/entrepreneurship mentoring, youth guidance and public speaking/organizing to shed light on Oakland's rich history of social awareness, diversity and community action. I am a father of 4 daughters and uncle and godfather to countless other kids. I participate in and help teach jiujitsu, surfing and design in my spare time.

Andréa Purnell, audience development manager and co-curator of “The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century,” joined the Saint Louis Art Museum in 2017. As the audience development manager, Purnell works to spearhead cross-departmental initiatives and engagement strategies designed to increase and expand the museum’s audience profile. Her major contributions at SLAM include the development of the award-winning Staff Programming Opportunity Team, a program that encourages staff input and promotes diverse thinking using institutional collaboration with fresh perspectives.

In addition to her public relations duties, Purnell has maintained a successful artistic career as an actor, writer, director, and stage manager. Her acting credits include theater, commercials, industrial films, and movies. She has appeared in numerous local broadcasts and continues to be actively involved in media relations. For these accomplishments, she has received the DELUX Magazine Power 100 Award, Grand Center Visionary Award, North County Incorporated 30 Leaders Award, Ferguson-Florissant School District Outstanding Alumni Award, and ALIVE Magazine Buzz Listing.

Purnell holds a bachelor of arts degree in communication studies from Fontbonne University, a master of fine arts in arts management and leadership from Webster University, and a diversity, equity, and inclusion certificate from Cornell University. Purnell serves as the appointed 2023 board chair for the Regional Arts Commission of Saint Louis and on the Florissant Disability Awareness Commission.

Fitgi Saint-Louis is a multidisciplinary artist based in Queens, NY. She received her BFA in Design at the School of Visual Arts in 2011 and has been an adjunct professor at the school since 2020.

Fitgi’s work considers the layered and intertwined legacies of the African diaspora influenced by her Haitian American heritage. She utilizes color and form to visualize subjects at rest, in dreamscapes, in movement and mediation. Her abstracted figures honor the multifaceted ancestry of the Black experience and her work formats are influenced from her expertise in experiential graphic design.

Currently an artist in residence at Art Crawl Harlem - Governors Island, her debut solo exhibition was held at Underground Gallery, New York (2022). Select group exhibitions include Kente Royal Gallery, New York (2023); The Africa Center, New York (2023); She also has a public mural on Long Island.

Fitgi has collaborated on design and advocacy projects, was awarded the Rising Star Award from Interior Design Magazine and is a true multi-hyphenate. She is an accomplished dancer, and choreographer who has taught internationally, and at the Alvin Ailey Extension Program. She is an organizer in the Design as Protest Collective, Urban Design Forum, National Organization of Minority Architects and Dark Matter U. Fitgi is dedicated to the accessibility of art education, sponsoring workshops for young artists.

Kaleena Sales is an Associate Professor of Graphic Design and Chair of the Department of Art and Design at Tennessee State University, an HBCU (Historically Black College or University) in Nashville, TN. Her research and writing are rooted in racial justice and equity, with a specific focus on the ways culture informs aesthetics. Kaleena is co-author of the book, Extra-Bold: A Feminist, Inclusive, Anti-Racist, Non-Binary Field Guild for Graphic Designers, alongside Ellen Lupton, Farah Kafei, Jennifer Tobias, Josh A. Halstead, Leslie Xia, and Valentina Vergara. Through her service on AIGA's Design Educators Community Steering Committee, Kaleena advocated for a more inclusive view of design history through her Beyond the Bauhaus writing series, which served as inspiration for her new book, Centered: People and Ideas Diversifying Design, published by Princeton Architectural Press. Kaleena is an active illustrator, with award-winning work featured in the 2021 Communication Arts Illustration Annual and is currently researching the intersection of Black culture and design as a doctoral student at North Carolina State University.

Seals has been on a lifelong path when it comes to design: he's been practicing writing in cursive since he was in kindergarten; sold $3 graffiti style name cards to his classmates between the ages of ten and eleven. He was designing tattoos, bead jewelry, comic strips for the school paper, yearbooks, his first font, and more by high school. After graduating in 2015 with a degree in Visual Communication Design, Seals went on to open his own brand consultancy (2015-2020) known as Studio Seals. Through Studio Seals, he had the opportunity to work with over 250 partners, ranging from small startups to national and global brands (2015-2020). In 2016, he founded a diversity-driven type foundry known as Vocal Type. Inspired by the lack of diversity in the graphic design industry, each typeface highlights a piece of history from a different underrepresented race, ethnicity, or gender—from the Women's Suffrage Movement in Argentina to the Civil Rights Movement in America and beyond. Now 29, Seals has been named an Ascender by the Type Directors Club, a Young Gun by the One Club for Creativity, a Black Design Visionary by Instagram and the Brooklyn Museum, and a Forbes 30 Under 30 Lister.

Omari Souza is an accomplished Assistant Professor of Communication Design at the University of North Texas. With a diverse background and wealth of experience, he has made significant contributions to various industries and academic institutions. Omari's journey as a first-generation American began in the vibrant borough of the Bronx, New York. His cultural heritage traces back to his Jamaican roots, adding a unique perspective to his work and worldview. Before his academic career, Omari held pivotal roles at esteemed organizations such as VIBE magazine, Capital One, CBS Radio, and Case Western Reserve University. These experiences gave him invaluable insights into media, broadcasting, and higher education.

Omari co-hosts the highly acclaimed podcast, ""The Design of Business | The Business of Design minisode."" This engaging platform delves into the intricate workings of design within complex organizations, influencing decisions, products, and more. As a co-host, Omari brings together industry experts and designers from diverse fields to explore the impact of design on various aspects of business.

Recognizing the importance of representation and inclusivity in design, Omari is the visionary founder of the State of Black Design conference. This groundbreaking conference aims to celebrate, promote, and amplify the voices and contributions of Black designers, fostering a more equitable and diverse design industry.

In his research pursuits, Omari focuses on methods of decolonizing design practices and conducting ethical research. His exploration of these critical areas challenges existing norms and strives to create a more inclusive and responsible design landscape. With his multifaceted background, Omari Souza brings a wealth of knowledge, passion, and a commitment to positive change in communication design. His contributions and insights continue to shape the industry and inspire the next generation of designers.

From Manchester England, Wilson came from a family of graphic designers but carved out a 35 year career as an interior photographer in NY, with the last three shoots for his long-term clients the NY Times, LVMH and Victoria’s Secret.

Wilson is regarded as the first photographer to specialize in the digital manipulation of images, using the infamous Quantel Paintbox from 1985 and still owns one of the last working Paintboxes in the world. His vast archive of Paintbox art includes unseen work created by David Hockney and Keith Haring. Wilson has curated several exhibitions and is the world authority on a pioneering machine which first brought the world into the Digital Age and was used by many hip-hop artists for music videos and record sleeves.

His photography career self-funds his several other creative outlets, including a museum quality collection of 10,000 vintage branding labels and 2,000 Victorian printing blocks, with which he gave a talk at TypeCon and opened an award-winning free store in the Lower East Side in 2015 called The Inutilious Retailer. He created a fake Elon Musk Office and Art Gallery in a derelict building on Rivington Street and opened the first art gallery in Jean-Michel Basquait’s former studio and home at 57 Great Jones Street.

Wilson is a prolific graffiti and street artist who never sells or signs his work but you have likely seen his viral transformations of street signs and subway station tributes to people who have passed such as “David Bowery” and “Aretha Franklin Street”. Jerry Saltz contacted Wilson to come up with ideas and artwork, renaming The Met Koch forecourt to “Climate Denier Plaza.”

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2023 SEGD Graffiti to Graphics - Part 1