26.2: A Marathon Poster Show

i am an illustrator, designer, and okay dude living and working in saint paul, minnesota. i like to make lines that tell a story and shapes that follow along. i’m inspired by vintage album covers, traditional tattoos, screen printing, and simplicity. i specialize in illustrations, packaging, branding, and layout … but i like to get my hands dirty and am down for just about any project.

Donte Mearon is THROWiNG PAiNT, which is his art company based on what happens when the concept of nature and graffiti is intertwined. While some may initially think that the two are contrary concepts, Donte likes to celebrate the unexpected beauty that can be seen and discovered in both, especially when brought together in one piece or one series. Most common mediums used to express this intersection are acrylic on canvas and silkscreen printing on bags and apparel.

Emily Augustin is a graphic designer and typography aficionado based in Minneapolis, MN. She uses design and illustration as tools to tell stories and build connections. 

My name is Fuechee Thao, a designer, illustrator, and runner based in the Twin Cities area. Throughout my career, I have worked with clients ranging from small local businesses to large corporations. My main goal as a creative is to produce work that positively impacts the community.

After growing up as a gym rat and falling in love with drawing at an early age, Holly Grimsrud’s work of the past few decades has continued to evolve to include whatever media conveys the idea, be it drawing, painting, mixed media works on paper or cutout wooden sculptures.  In her work, Grimsrud explores people, and the ongoing and persistent erosion of privacy in the social media age, often depicting female athletes not in states of competition and glory, but at their most real, raw, private and vulnerable. 

Iris Hernandez is a Minneapolis-based graphic designer and senior at the University of Minnesota studying Graphic Design, whose practice is rooted in her experiences as a bicultural, bilingual, first-generation student. Growing up surrounded by art, activism, and the everyday creativity of her community, she brings a community-centered perspective to projects across print, digital design, and visual storytelling, with a focus on creating work that connects with and celebrates the communities it serves. 

Leah Meilander (she/her) is a freelance designer and artist that specializes in brand identity, graphic design, hand lettering, and illustration. Her work has led to brand design projects, poster & merch art, book design, and other visual identity work for various businesses and organizations. She enjoys experimenting with letters and layouts in her lettering work, often having a graphic design/typographic feel, and adding illustrations to bring the words to life. Her artwork is inspired by her experiences and musings on life & a love of storytelling. 

Lora Hlavsa is a Minneapolis-based artist and illustrator creating bright, bold work centered around people, places, and plants. Born in Minnesota and raised in California by a Filipino mother and Czech-American father, Lora's colorful paintings and illustrations often explore multiculturalism, identity, fashion, sports, and pop culture. 

Nelson Liu is a visual artist from Taiwan. He has worked as a graphic designer in Taipei for several years before moving to the U.S. to pursue an MFA degree in visual studies. 

Some of the inspirations behind his work are gothic stories, high fashion, the concept of wabi-sabi, magical realism, and metal music. 

I’m a multidisciplinary designer originally from Tucson, Arizona. After moving to the Twin Cities two years ago, I’ve been excited to become part of Minnesota’s creative community. Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my wife and three kids—and attempting to play soccer, with emphasis on attempting. You can view my portfolio at www.cvlnsdesign.com or my illustration work at https://www.instagram.com/_cvlns_/

Sam Eide is a graphic designer who found her way to printmaking. Her TCM story started years ago, handing out water at mile seven. Last year, she returned to run the 10 Mile, and this year, she’s training for her first marathon and finding plenty of inspiration along the way.

Sara L. Jeet, who creates under the artist name MERA, is a Twin Cities–based multidisciplinary artist working across illustration, graphic design, and photography. Her work is heavily inspired by comics, gaming, grungy music flyers, and all things playful and cartoon-inspired. 

Working primarily through digital mediums, Sara combines tools such as Clip Studio Paint, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Illustrator to create bold, expressive imagery that reflects her eclectic influences and playful approach to visual storytelling. 

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Primarily self-taught, Sara briefly studied Animation at the School of Visual Arts in New York City before returning to Minnesota. She is currently pursuing a degree in Graphic Design at Hennepin Technical College, continuing to develop her practice across both traditional and digital forms of visual communication.

Taylor is an illustrator, fiber artist, and triathlete based in the Longfellow neighborhood of Minneapolis. She specializes in colorful editorial work, often featuring plants, animals, food, and nature. Her clients include Northern Gardener Magazine, Sunday Club, the Minneapolis Farmers’ Market, the Green Dreamer Podcast, Weck Jars, the Lake Street Council, Springboard for the Arts, and more. She is also a Master Gardener Volunteer and Food Preservation Consultant through UofM Extension. When she isn’t drawing or cooking, you can probably find her somewhere cozy with a book, swimming in a lake, or hiking in the woods with her dog, Cricket.  

Website: www.taylortinkham.com 

Instagram: @ttink.art 

Tevka Lackmann is a multimedia artist versed in a breadth of mediums; from painting to printmaking. Her primary focus is conveying the importance of taking care of the natural world around us, and advocating for the people, plants, and creatures who call this beautiful earth home. When not creating, she can often be found biking around the cities, bopping around in her 1978 VW Bus “Oat”, and spending time out-of-doors.

Tricia Schmidt is an art educator, potter, and illustrator living on the East Side of St. Paul.  She fell in love with illustration at UW-Eau Claire under the tutelage of Anders Shafer, and graduated with a BS in Art Education in 1999.  Her illustrative work is informed by her love of cartoons and books as a kid, which has carried through into adulthood with her passion for the visually distinctive, story-driven work of Studio Ghibli, Keith Haring, Marjane Satrapi, and ND Stevenson.  She is perpetually doodling repetitive marks and motifs as a form of meditation and storytelling, and her bold, black and white images are equally as at home on her ceramic pots as on paper.    More information available at  www.potsonthebluff.com