GCHS Alumni Art Newsletter - Fall 2024

Editors Kaitlin Cook Gabrielle Marchese Adi Medina Designed by Media Arts II

LiAnn Gram Photographer & Videographer Class of 2014

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LiAnn Gram is a photographer and videographer, and in the past 6 years of living in NYC, she has freelanced with various brands and people. In addition she has worked with a full time production agency, all while also trying to make enough time for her own personal projects. For LiAnn it’s a fine balance between the freelance / commercial work and personal work. “In order to find your balance being a working artist, you have to try different things and take all kinds of opportunities to do art and see what feels right and pivoting when it doesn’t feel right”, LiAnn explains. Most recently LiAnn was with an agency full time where she was making money every day with her camera. However, she found that it wasn’t fulfilling and occupied too much of time. Liann believes, “the creative mind is like a muscle, you don’t want to only do one type of workout for the rest of your life!”

LiAnn is back to freelancing with a few clients on retainer and other gigs here and there. For LiAnn the answer right now seems to be part time commercial work mixed with personal projects. She believes that creative people can exist in way more forms that just one thing. From LiAnn’s experience working in NYC, she’s come to the conclusion that you can in fact do anything with your art.

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Veronica Agarwal Illustrator Class of 2012

Recently, Veronica and her partner Lee Durfey-Lavoie have finished up their second graphic novel, Sink or Swim. This book takes place in the same universe as their prior release, Just Roll With It, and features the same characters, and includes new ones. This newest book is set to release June 2024?2025?, so Veronica and Lee have been focusing on setting up interviews, school visits and library tours to celebrate the upcoming release. Sink or Swim has been finished for sometime, so Veronica and Lee this past year put together a pitch packet for their next graphic novel idea and their agent is currently pitching it to publishers.

Veronica has worked on three full books total. Just Roll With It and Sink or Swim as a co-creator and Alexis vs. Summer Vacation by Sarah Jamilia Stevenson as an Illustrator. “I love drawing girls and cute things!! To be honest, the things I draw for fun and relaxation are pretty bland. A lot of cartoonists know this struggle, but a lot of my ‘for fun’ doodles consist of ‘bust shots of people looking left’.”

Veronica feels lucky to work with her writing partner, and fiancé Lee, to develop stories and characters. Sometimes she can come up with a concept, but the idea of fleshing it out into a full script seems incredibly daunting, while Lee’s able to break it down into the pieces actually needed to create the book. Other times, Lee see’s a character Veronica has doodled and creates a story around them, and we jump from there. Sometimes, ideas that they have marinate for awhile, even years, before they pick them up and polish them into a pitch. For ‘for hire’ work it’s a different process, and that involves a lot of communication with the client and figuring out what vision they have for their characters.

Veronica’s advice is to “draw things you’re scared of! Draw things you don’t think you’re good at! Unfortunately for all of us, our personal achilles heels (horses, automobiles, backgrounds, perspective) always find ways to weasel themselves into our work. Being brave enough to step out of your comfort zone is so important, even if it sucks sometimes (all the time)”. Veronica also recommends experimenting with different media and trying different materials, creating in different ways, even if you never think you’re going to use those skills again. Sculpture, whittling, knitting, music, movies, collage, the more experiences you have, the more things will inform your art.

Related to that, explore interests and passions outside of art. Not just to improve your art, but also to improve yourself and keep yourself healthy. “Focusing on your art and nothing else can be so fulfilling and wonderful, but taking care of our bodies and minds is how we avoid burnout”.

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Amanda Byrne Designer at SwimUSA Class of 2016

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After graduation Amanda headed to the Fashion Institute of Technology to study Fashion Design. It was the only place that felt right and she was grateful when she was accepted.

During Amanda’s time at FIT, she interned at various companies, learned the ins and outs of the industry, and met a ton of talented people along the way. In her junior year, Amanda chose her specialization in Intimate Apparel. It was the best decision she ever made, as it truly shaped who Amanda was as a designer. It was the first time she was able to combine her creative ideas with her favorite fabrics, trims, and silhouettes. During Amanda’s specialization, she won a scholarship, became a semifinalist in a design competition, and was a finalist for the senior year Future of Fashion Show.

After graduating in 2020, Amanda was hired as Assistant Designer at Amanda Uprichard, a contemporary women’s clothing company, that she had been interning at since 2018. Amanda’s time at AU was great, transforming her career and design skills in the best possible way. Amanda became more skilled in sketching, print design, trend research, and so much more. It was a very hands-on environment which Amanda believes is the most effective way to learn, especially in this industry. She had so much creative freedom and many of her designs became best sellers. As a recent graduate, it was amazing to have her sketches come to life and to see the designs worn by people passing Amanda on the streets of NYC. She describes it as “such a surreal feeling that I hope never fades”.

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In 2022, Amanda made the tough decision to move on from AU and chase after what she really wanted. She began to search for a job in the intimate apparel or swimwear industry. Soon after, Amanda landed a job at SWIMUSA (based in NYC) and have been working there ever since.

Her title is Associate Designer for the Ralph Lauren Swimwear brands and it has been such a positive change of pace.

Amanda has learned so much at her new job, one of the most exciting things being 3D design. Amanda and her team are currently working on the Resort 2026 concepts. Amanda has really enjoyed working in the swimwear industry and is excited for what’s to come in the future!

While reflecting on her journal, Amanda wanted to give a special thank you to Mr. Uttendorfer, “thank you for all of your support in helping me get there, I really appreciate it. You always allowed me to have creative freedom in your class and focus on what was important to me as an artist”.

Fall 2024

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Dana Famigeleti

Senior Art Direct at Kettle & Amazon Web Services Class of 2011 After the gentle nudge from Mr. Utt to “please apply to at least one art school,” Dana found herself at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), where I earned a BFA in Graphic Design. Dana applied initially as an illustration major, because she liked to draw, but soon found the graphic design department. She studied typography, color, and how to communicate through form, Dana felt empowered as a visual communicator.

In the professional world, Dana has had the opportunity to work in diverse environments, from small design studios to large corporate branding agencies, and most recently, in “Big Tech.”

Following her time at RISD, Dana relocated to Brooklyn and worked at various small design studios across NYC including C&G Partners. At C&G, their mission was to “design for culture,” serving clients such as museums, universities, and public parks. In the studio, she had the opportunity to collaborate with architects, web developers, experts in motion graphics, and other multi-disciplinary creatives. Dana and her colleagues designed across all kinds of touchpoints, including: websites, interactive displays, physical installations and exhibits, videos, animations, and printed materials. “It felt like a fun extension of my RISD education— with a big cutting table full of messy inspiration and foam-core boards pinned with works in progress,” Dana explained.

Later, Dana moved to San Francisco and joined Landor, a larger branding agency. She labels this chapter as “Branding Bootcamp.” There she created strict brand guidelines for global corporations, imagined new brands from the ground-up, and elevated existing brands on an international scale across diverse applications. Dana learned so much in this studio from her peers, whether it was swapping design program tips or sharing where to find inspiration. It ingrained in Dana the importance of having a creative community around you.

Dana’s advice to current students is “to embrace change. New tools and resources will always come into your creative practice.

There is no “right way” to use any tools. Let them offer you a new perspective. Be open to changing your mind. Be open to failure. Iterate, iterate, iterate.

If you feel stuck creatively, get outside, get offscreen. And just know you’re not alone, we’re all kinda winging it”.

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Dana entered the tech industry when she was contacted by a recruiter to join Facebook’s Artificial Intelligence team. On a new team of two, she partnered with a creative director to interview the AI leads, researchers, and engineers, getting to know their work, their goals, and how they wanted to show up in the industry.

They would also collected information to help both Dana and her partner reimagine their brand. When Facebook became Meta, Dana joined another team called Studio X, an internal storytelling team within Meta Monetization. Here, Dana focused on designing events and educational programming to showcase Meta’s products and vision for the future.

Today, Dana serve as a Senior Art Director at Kettle, on a team embedded within the Marcom Interactive team at Apple. Dana’s job mostly consists of designing pages for apple.com. The collaboration with writers, strategists, product experts, and other designers is really rewarding, and she can feel it strengthening her skills as a storyteller. Dana’s favorite part of the job is the push-and-pull of striking the right balance between messaging and visuals.

Sometimes the page design can almost feel like an interactive news article. She “I owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to the GCHS Art hopes she doesn’t lose her enthusiasm Department for helping to shape the way I view the world. for this tango.

Reflecting back, I eagerly enrolled in almost every class Outside of work, Dana tries to keep offered by the department: studio art, sculpture, film her creative pursuits off-screen. She keeps photography, digital photography, computer graphics, a sketchbook and often draw friends and and AP Art. The skills I gained from these classes have family. Dana brings a few colored pencils been instrumental in both my personal creative endeavors and oil pastels with me when she travels. and my professional career. Even today, concepts like the Dana’s fiancé Jake is a very patient “rule of thirds” and the understanding that “white is not model. She also loves to crochet, mostly white” remain rooted in my art and design process. These small projects for herself, but recently for resources and the encouragement from my teachers have friends’ newborns too. left an enduring impact on me. “

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Erin Rode

Head of Production and Design at IAMGIA Class of 2015 Erin has been working in design and production since 2018. In 2018 - Erin relocated to Barcelona where she worked for an atelier called AYSIM Design. Here Erin worked on sketching, building initial design tech packs and mood boards. She managed all sample, fabric and colour approvals for our collections. It was a really great intro to the fashion industry and allowed Erin to be hands on and learn first hand the building blocks to design Once COVID had lightened up, Erin moved out to Los Angeles and worked primarily in production for Frankies Bikinis a swimwear brand producing in LA. Erin had the opportunity to work in dye houses, factories and print shops working on the materials needed for bulk production.

Erin worked with pattern makers to translate the developers’ vision into a finished product.

Shortly after Erin worked for a brand called With Jean, doing everything from initial design concept to producing the collection in bulk quantity.

After her time at With Jean she worked for a brand called Set Active in which she expanded her knowledge of color and it’s relationship with fabric. Erin worked mostly in dye houses in LA to manage colour and lab dip approvals. She learned about the process of achieving dye with different washes, enzymes and treatments. “It was extremely interesting to expand my perception of colour and the outside influences, light, fabric and texture will have on it,” Erin shared.

Currently - Erin is working at IAMGIA as head of production and design. Her day to day looks like fabric sourcing, CAD drawings, fittings, tech packs, costings and mood boards. Additionally, Erin has been so lucky to work on custom projects for various celebrities. Erin has had the chance to work on designing, sewing and making looks for Beyonce, Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani, Latto, Sexy Red, and most recently Ice Spice. Erin’s design was worn at Coachella on Weekend 1 in which the New York Times covered the piece as one of the top 10

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looks from the weekend. By the time Sunday morning rolled around - the stylist had requested an additional look to wear on the second weekend. Erin had a turn around time of about 3 days to cut and sew the look in LA and turn over in time for the performance in Palm Springs.

The best advice Erin would have to someone wanting to follow a similar path, was that she was self taught in every aspect. “I did not go to school for design or product development. I worked extremely hard to get my foot into the door and took every opportunity to learn. I asked questions, learned from other people in different departments and used my time outside of work to perfect my skills in illustrator and other softwares that I was unfamiliar with. My ability to sketch and to draw was something that I leaned on to translate my ideas when my experience was lacking”.

Erin had an undying need to learn and be mentored and coached.

She used every opportunity that she could to pick up new skills, learn, fail and diversify her place in the industry. Erin worked extremely hard to get as much out of each role as it allowed and was not afraid to pivot when she felt that her development was limited.

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William Demaria Master Printer Class of 2016

William Demaria graduated with a Fine Arts degree from Cornell University and is currently based in Baltimore, Maryland. William worked for three years as a master printer at Universal Limited Art Editions. William has had the opportunity to showcase his work in mulitple exhibitions, showcasing his own artwork.

William’s most recent exhibition was a show titled Afterthought. His work was showcased along with 2 other artists, Oliver Stern and Erin Owen. All of the artwork was meant to be observations about the contemporary landscape which alone seemed innocuous and or beautiful. When put together, the undertones of sadness and hints of ecological ruin became clear which was the “afterthought” present 12

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in our mind while creating all the work. William and Oliver made prints and Erin put a tower with fragile glass balls filled with crude oil they got from the Keystone Pipeline in the middle of the gallery which made viewing the prints uncomfortable because it was easy to bump into and create a mess of shattered glass and crude oil. The exhibition received an excellent review by Mark Jenkins of the Washington Post.

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Lindsey Demars Director, Writer, Storyboard Artist, Animator & Independent Filmmaker Class of 2015

Lindsey DeMars is a Director, Writer, Storyboard Artist, Animator, and Independent Filmmaker currently living in Los Angeles, CA. Lindsey studied Experimental Film & Animation at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) where she created an assortment of silly cartoons that have screened at festivals such as Animation Block Party and Animafest Zagreb. Lindsey has professional experience as a Storyboard Artist in Feature Animation (Kids & Family Comedy) and has Directed comedy shorts for clients such as Fox, Bento Box, Hulu, Adim Inc, Bizaar Studios, Buzzfeed, and more. Most recently, Lindsey has been focused on writing and creating character-driven comedies in both the kids and adult space. Her endearingly sardonic voice juxtaposes the charming, bright and nostalgic art style present in her work, which is reminiscent of old school 90’s cartoons meets classic 2000’s era flash animation. Her writing style satirizes the mundane aspects of everyday life and pokes fun at those lacking self-awareness.

Lindsey is currenlty working in the animation industry out in LA. She is mainly freelancing as an animator and director but the real goal is to create her own series. Right now Lindsey is working with Adult Swim on a TV concept, then she has a TV show pitch at SONY and Nickelodeon.

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“Don’t know how I got here but I’m rolling with it. So crazy and funny that I ended up in animation, I had NO idea back in high-school that I’d end up here.”

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Tim Eschmann Visual Designer at RVO Health Class of 2013 In the past year Tim Eschmann has been working on developing a brand umbrella for his freelance business. During the day he works as a designer for a healthcare company, most recently designing logos and a brand guidebook for state run smoking and vaping cessation programs. Currently Tim lives in Long Beach and has been able to build up relationships with a handful of business’s and create t-shirts, hats, stickers or any sort of graphic needed. Tim is in the process of updating his portfolio and Instagram to fit the new studio moniker “Mohawk Slim” based off the beach he lives on. In his free time Tim sketches a lot, most recently a series of vintage comic superhero’s surfing and skating. As well as writing songs and building photoshop templates for learning.

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Stephanie Dorotheos Art Educator Class of 2020vv

Stephanie’s Dorotheos artwork is an autobiography, unraveled through subjects which are mundane, unnoticed, or forgotten. The inside of a refrigerator, a medicine cabinet, a bookshelf: these places can be personal, and revealing, but also be the catch-all areas for the excess items in our lives. In Stephanie’s current body of work, she is exploring these quiet scenes through a variety of media, such as oil paint and cardboard, to create pieces that capture the essence of these ordinary yet revealing moments, candid and uninhibited.

Through her naturalistic art, Stephanie aims to encourage viewers to look beyond the surface and delve deeper into the inner workings of their own lives. “Am I The Girl In The Mirror?” depicts a mirrored medicine cabinet with typical items, like toothpaste and lotions. Behind the objects, is a self-portrait, which is distorted by the shelves and objects. “Each day, the cabinet is opened, the items are used and returned, and I catch glimpses of my own face in the divided glass.

Slowly, the items change, the ritual evolves, and I along with it.”

In this work, she is taking a snapshot of a moment that is mundane, yet ever changing, and reflects on Stephanie’s own life.

By focusing on these overlooked elements, Stephanie hopes to create a sense of intimacy and connection between the viewer and the subject matter. She believes that by highlighting the beauty of these small moments, it can reveal the hidden complexities of the small moments everyone experiences in their own individual lives. Stephanie describes her art as, “an invitation to engage with the world in a deeper and more meaningful way”.

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Madeleine Gong

Design Technology Class of 2011

Madeleine Gong has always been curious about the balance between creativity and science, and she aspired to create beyond the traditional boundaries of design. Following graduation from GCHS in 2011, Madeleine continued her education as an Apparel and Textiles Major at Parsons School of Design. During her time at Parsons, Madeleine had the opportunity to work with high fashion designers such as Jonathan Simkhai and Jason Wu, andmore experimental designers like the brand Chromat.

After graduating Madeleine wanted to continue to explore the space between fashion and technology and started her career as an apparel engineer for NeoSensory. The company builds apparel embedded with haptic sensors that allowed the wearer to perceive environmental sound through vibrational patterns on the body. NeoSensory set out with the ambitious goal of working with the deaf and hard of hearing community to develop technology that enhanced their sensory perception through their clothing. Since then, Madeleine has worked as an apparel engineer and product designer to infuse technology into objects; from yoga pants that guide the wearer with vibrational feedback (Wearable X), to adaptive technology that allows people with mobility impairments (Google ATAP).Madeliene has had the opportunity to collaborate and showcase her work with National Geographic, the Venice Biennale and HBO’s Westworld.

Currently, Madeleine works for Gravity Sketch, a 3D design tool that allows designers to think in 3D earlier, in virtual reality and bring their 2D sketches to life.

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Alexandra Debler Production Assistant Class of 2019

Alexandra Debler, a rising talent in the world of costume design, has been making her mark with her recent work in photography and apparel. Her latest photography, captured entirely on 35mm film, highlights her keen eye for detail and creativity. The apparel, featured in her thesis project, showcases her innovative design approach. Among the images is a standout shot of a dress on a couch, photographed by her friend and fellow RISD alum, Parker Simpson.

Currently, Alexandra is currently working as a production assistant in the costume department on the Netflix romantic comedy Kinda Pregnant, starring Amy Schumer and produced by Adam Sandler. in the film industry. Her role in the production underscores her growing presence.

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Victoria (D’Antone) Magdich

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Project Architect at Hill West Architecture Class of 2013

Victoria (D’Antone) Magdich graduated in 2018 with a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Virginia Tech. In her final year at school she worked on her thesis, exploring the relationship between architecture and the horizon. Currently Victoria is a licensed architect in the state of New York. The firm she works at in NYC specializes in high rise residential buildings. Almost immediately after joining the firm Victoria was fortunate to work on many large scale projects including a 900+ unit apartment building. The project which took years to construct is finally nearing completion. It was an incredible experience to watch the a layouts we sketched on paper come to life. Victoria loves working with a team and overseeing the entire building process from the initial concept to the project’s completion.

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Kylie Mara Designer at Maggy London Class of 2013

Kylie Mara’s journey through the fashion industry is one marked by bold decisions and continuous growth. As a reporter following her career, it’s clear that Kylie has navigated the fashion world with a combination of skill, persistence, and a willingness to pivot when necessary.

Kylie began her artistic education at the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), initially considering a major in illustration. However, her passion for working with softer materials, sparked by a 3D design course and the advice of a professor, led her to switch her focus to apparel design. “I liked the idea of communicating my designs through sketching,” she recalls, which would later become a cornerstone of her career.

Determined to make a mark in the competitive fashion industry, Kylie secured internships at Ralph Lauren and Club Monaco during her summers. She acknowledged the disadvantage of being based in Rhode Island, far from the fashion epicenter of New York City, but she strategically filled her resume with these valuable experiences. Turning down unpaid opportunities, she advises that while unpaid internships can be worthwhile, the decision depends on individual circumstances.

Kylie’s post-college career took off quickly. After graduating in 2017, she showcased her thesis collection at the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Fashion Future Graduate Showcase, as well as New York Fashion Week. Just a week later, she started as an assistant designer at Club Monaco. Over the next six years, she worked her way up the ranks, eventually becoming responsible for designing all of the soft woven styles, including dresses, shirts, skirts, and jumpsuits.

However, by the spring of 2023, the pressures of her role and the lack of sufficient support led to burnout. After realizing the company wasn’t going to hire additional help, Kylie made the difficult decision to leave. “It was scary, but I was really unhappy and needed the change,” she reflects.

Fortunately, things worked out. Though she was unemployed for a month, she found an unexpected yet fulfilling creative outlet in painting pet portraits for the contemporary fashion brand Staud, which offers custom pet portraits on their leather bags. This side project helped Kylie reconnect with her love for painting, and she now spends a few days each week working on her art. Shortly after, in the summer of 2023, Kylie accepted a temporary role at Anthropologie, where she expanded her skills by learning how to design cutand-sew knits. Although it wasn’t the right long-term fit, it paved the way for her current position as a designer at Maggy London, where she’s thriving.

Reflecting on her journey, Kylie has learned several key lessons: Talent means little without hard work, and it’s crucial to find something you’re passionate about and practice relentlessly. When you’re driven, people can be intimidated—sometimes, it’s best to keep your goals private. It’s important to be nice to everyone, but also stand your ground. Respect is key, especially when leading a team.Leaders are often those who remain calm and focused under pressure, traits that help early in a career. Relationships built during education can come full circle, so it’s crucial to treat classmates and peers as future colleagues.

Kylie’s experience has also been a reminder of how central drawing is to her work. Despite the technological tools available, she continues to rely on her iPad to sketch designs, making sure each style’s proportions and details are captured accurately yet expressively.

For aspiring creatives, she encourages them to stay open-minded.

“There are a lot of jobs out there for people who are creative, even if they’re not the best at drawing or painting,” she says.

Many haven’t yet discovered their true talents, so fostering creativity from an early age is crucial.

Now, with her rediscovered love for painting and a successful career, Kylie Mara continues to evolve in the fashion industry while maintaining a strong connection to her creative roots.

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Christi Clarke

Marketing & PR Manager at Fritz Hansen Class of 2010

Christi Clake reflects back on her time at GCHS, “it’s been over a decade since my days (more accurately midnights) of working on AP Art projects, but Mr. Uttendorfer’s class is still one of my favorite memories of GCHS”. It’s a rare moment, nowadays, to have any period of time solely dedicated to making art and it absolutely makes Christi nostalgic thinking about the creative freedom of Utt’s classroom. It was a time to be inspired while challenging herself to define what she wanted to make and why.

Christi fell in love with the process of storytelling through art and it inspired her career working in the art industry, and later pursuing brand marketing. Looking back, she is incredibly grateful for the experience to conceptualize, execute and verbalize art on a daily basis and the application to my career in marketing. Utt’s guidance and support truly impacted Christi’s consideration of art as a profession. At the time, Christi didn’t realize the value of the skills she was learning in the classroom –the exploration of creative ideas, the development of a visual language, a keen attention to detail and, of course, the weekly deadline to capture all of the above in a single project. As a marketer, Christi puts all of these learnings into practice. Creative and visuals are defining elements that unite a brand. When concepting a campaign or an event, the art needs to be as compelling as the messaging behind it, and she is always looking for opportunities to make a visual impact.

Christi’s advice to any aspiring creative is to, “try as many mediums as possible and take the time (while you have it) to fully explore your artistic ideas! You never know where the process will take you, and what you might learn about yourself. The classroom is your first artistic community and it’s a valuable opportunity to challenge yourself and challenge others to think big. Don’t be afraid to be bold––your choices have the potential to be more memorable than you think!”

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Christina Capetola

Lead Designer at Keepsake Class of 2012

Since leaving the GCHS halls, Christina Capetola’s passion for art has blossomed into a fulfilling graphic design career. Christina believes, “my journey from the GCHS to where I am today is a testament to following what you are passionate about. I encourage anyone to pursue what you are truly passionate about”. Winning a scholarship to an intensive graphic design course in NYC after getting a bachelor's degree was a pivotal moment for Chrisitna—it provided the opportunity to learn design programs and it set the stage for what was to come.

During Christina’s time in art school and beyond, she discovered that, “true fulfillment comes from pursuing what you love”. She believes when you find that spark—whether through a class assignment or personal project, explore it. Currently, Christina is the lead designer at Keepsake Frames.

In this role, she works on projects ranging from art direction, illustration, brand identity, producing commercials, UI/UX design and packaging design. “It’s incredibly rewarding to apply my creativity in ways that enhance our products and resonate with our customers”, she says.

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Mary Blume Mid Senior Lighting Artist Class of 2016

Mary Blume graduated from GCHS in June of 2016, with advice from Mr.Uttendorfer Mary attended The School of Visual arts, and graduated with BFA in 3D Animation and Visual effects. The arts program at GCHS was a massive part of Mary’s success in college and beyond.

“If it wasn’t for years of art education at GCHS I would not have made it in the film industry. Mr.Uttendorfer and the entire GCHS art department are invaluable resources to our students. Without AP art I would have never made it into school, and never seen my name in the credits of so many great films. Thank you Garden City arts department.”

Mary was able to walk away from GCHS with a competitive portfolio and had her pick of colleges. Since graduating in 2020 Mary has gone on to work in digital Visual Effects for feature films. Mary specializes in CGI lighting, taking film from set and using observed data to replicate on set lighting for digital characters such as Themberchaud in the recent film Dungeons and Dragons Honor Among Thieves 2023, and Hanus in Spaceman 2024. Most recently Mary was a credited lighting artist on Mufasa: The Lion King set to release in December 2024.

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Kaylah Bozkurtian Junior Designer, Brand Communications at Penguin Random House Class of 2018 Kaylah is an artist and graphic designer with a passion for storytelling based in the Charlotte Metropolitan Area. While a student at Wake Forest University, Kaylah applied her visual art education in the Art and Theatre departments, dabbling in a range of disciplines from painting to printmaking to costume design; after earning her Studio Art B.A. in 2022, she remained at the university for an additional year in an arts and humanities advocacy role. Kaylah currently works full-time as a Junior Designer for Brand and Communications at Penguin Random House.

In her free time, you’ll probably find Kaylah curled up with a good book—or a sketchbook—and a cup of Earl Grey. Kaylah’s work has been featured in several group exhibitions at the Wake Forest University Hanes and stArt Galleries, and her paintings appeared in the solo exhibition mutable / immutable at stArt.dt in the fall of 2021. She continues to maintain a personal creative practice and hopes to join the Charlotte art scene later this year.

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Elisabeth Clarke Art Director at Macy’s Class 2009

Elisabeth Clarke shares, “your creativity doesn’t start nor end with your career. When you keep your heart and mind open to new opportunities and remain curious, wonderful things come together”.

Elisabeth has had the pleasure of sitting as a model for a large format collaborative painting, assisted in screenprinting custom masks during COVID, installed several exhibitions for a high end Danish furniture company on Park Ave and designed a logo for Quest Love’s chef to name a few of the opportunities she has been blessed with.

“We cannot expect to be entirely fulfilled creatively by our job alone but the wonderful thing about being a creative is, there is opportunity all around. It’s just waiting for us to discover it”.

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Alena Sceusa

CAD/Textile Artist at the Children’s Place Class 2014 Alena Sceusa, a 2014 graduate of GCHS, has made significant strides in the world of textile design since completing her studies at Syracuse University and FIT in 2018. Currently working as a CAD Artist at The Children’s Place, a specialty retailer

for children’s apparel ranging from newborns to preteens, Sceusa focuses on designing prints for big girl’s clothing. Her role demands a combination of design and drawing skills, a strong sense of color, and a passion for fashion and trends. She shared some of her recent work to showcase her talent in this area. As an artist committed to growth, Sceusa makes it a point to attend an annual art residency in Italy, hosted by one of her former professors from Syracuse. She will be returning to the residency this May and hopes to expand upon the work she created last year, with an emphasis on painting.

Sceusa also offers advice to budding artists: “Keep working on your skills and style.

Be mindful that a lot of design work is digital, so add that to your skill set. And remember, it’s never too early to start investigating careers!”

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Keara Martin Fine Art Services Class 2012

After graduating GCHS Keara Martin attended SUNY Purchase where she majored in sculpture. Keara was eager to pursue new mediums and techniques that she didn’t have access or exposure to in high school. In some ways, the body of work that Keara made in college was an evolution of her painting concentration in AP Art, but explored through installation, foundry work, mold making, performance, video, etc.

Shortly after receiving her BFA, Keara was hired as the welder at Bark Framework, working there for 4 years, fabricating and finishing high end custom picture frames. Those which outfitted exhibitions such as the 2017 Irving Penn Centennial Retrospective at The Met and David Hockney’s 2018 Pace Exhibition featuring hexagonal paintings (and by virtue, hexagonal picture frames).

Keara shifted the scale of my personal practice to fit her Brooklyn apartment and full-time work schedule, returning to making works on paper and ceramics, and moving from conceptual work to illustration. Keara exhibits her work annually with her Bark Frameworks coworkers during the LIC Arts Open. Keara plans on joining them again this year for a “Brief but Spectacular” exhibition.

About 3 years ago, Keara relocated to the Hudson Valley, retired her torch, and took up a desk job working in Fine Art Services. There she coordinates with artist studios, collectors, and blue chip galleries to determine best practices for archival packing/crating, handling, installation, transportation, and longterm storage of their works.

Professionally, Keara focus is on the NYC contemporary art scene, but in her personal practice the crafting tradition of the Hudson Valley has her heart. Keara adorned her front lawn with the largest praying mantis in Saugerties, New York (probably), with a Keara maché facade that has miraculously survived 3 winters. Her greeting cards stock the shelves of the local independent book store. Keara also designed the branding for the 2024 Hudson Valley Garlic Festival (her favorite autumnal celebration) which has an average annual attendance of 40,000-50,000 people.

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Garden City High School - Alumni Art Newsletter

As an art teacher, I am deeply passionate about nurturing the creativity that lies within each of our students. At Garden City High School, we are privileged to have a team of talented and dedicated art educators who bring not only skill but also a love for the creative process to our classrooms. Art, at its core, is about expression and without a genuine passion for creating, it loses its authenticity. Our goal is to help students find that passion, to encourage them to explore, experiment, and uncover what truly moves them.

Through this journey, we watch students discover their own unique voices, developing artwork that holds personal meaning and significance. As teachers and mentors, it is our honor to guide students on this path and to instill a love for art that they can carry forward into college, careers, and beyond. Fostering creativity helps our students see the world differently, to think outside the box, and to build confidence in their individual artistic styles.

While passion fuels artistic growth, a solid foundation in the basics of the essential techniques, materials, and principles of art is also crucial. By teaching these fundamentals, we prepare students for the art world, giving them the tools to succeed and the context to understand their own work within a broader artistic tradition. Balancing passion, creativity, and technical skills is key in helping our students become both successful and fulfilled as artists.

It is a joy to see our students’ achievements, especially as they go on to pursue diverse careers in the arts. We are proud that so many of them started their journey right here in the Garden City Art Department, equipped with a strong foundation and the confidence to follow their dreams.

Shawn Uttendorfer Shawn Uttendorfer Garden City Art Department