We are thrilled to announce the six talented designers chosen by our jury as finalists for the CUP Fellowship for Change in Design!
Thank you to everyone who applied to the fellowship; the caliber of the applicants for our inaugural fellowship was truly humbling.
While we can only choose one designer to work with for the year, we wanted to showcase all of our finalists in the spirit of cultivating and uplifting new talent in the design field. Get to know these amazing designers and their work below!
Ibrahim Al Thawadi is a recent graduate of ArtCenter College of Design, where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design. Currently, he resides in Los Angeles by way of Bahrain. He has a special interest in using design as a political tool to raise awareness on social issues regarding the Arab world. Intentionally, he avoids the limelight preferring to work in the background.
Denzel Boyd is an artist, designer and activist based in Richmond, VA. His work transits through the fields between art and graphic design practices with a focus on typography, print design, art direction and social design. He has worked with the National Youngarts Foundation and the Storefront for Community Design. He holds a undergraduate degree in graphic design at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Rebecca Brooker is a recent graduate of St. John’s University, originally from Trinidad and Tobago. She was the graphic designer for SJUOK?, a multi-platform campaign promoting mental health awareness and resources, and most recently worked with the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM).
Nicholas Johnson is a recent graduate of Western Michigan University from Detroit, Michigan. He has consulted with the Kalamazoo Black Arts and Cultural Center and Western Michigan University’s Design Center. He is passionate about developing black excellence in the field of design through education and advocacy.
Giselle Matz is a recent graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University (VCUarts) from Miami, Florida. She has worked with the Clean City Commission and Storefront for Community Design to address issues and needs within the Richmond community and provides clients with design solutions.
Edith Valle is an artist and designer from Austin, Texas. She works with the City of Austin in the Watershed Protection Department designing educational materials to engage the Austin community in protecting their watersheds, and has previously worked with Student Action with Farmworkers organizing farmworkers in Raleigh, NC. She is a recent graduate from St. Edward’s University in Austin.
