PROFILE

ART DIRECTOR, GRAPHIC DESIGNER AND ILLUSTRATOR

Skilled, experienced and versatile graphics professional with over 40 years experience. Background in print, web, production, publishing, marketing, promotions, and training. Worked on a wide range of assignments and posts, employing a broad range of skills and flexible stylistic approach. Executes projects from concept to finished production art, combining graphics, illustration, and technical skills. Fully conversant with electronic publishing and software tools. Imaginative, hardworking and good on deadlines. Worked as a staff artist, solo and with design teams and supervising workgroups, and as an independet freelanncer and consultant. Understands both the traditional graphic arts and computer technology, possessing both traditional and digital studio skills. Evaluates new technologies in electronic art, desktop publishing and new media. BFA with honors in Graphic Design and Illustration, Pratt Institute. Located in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, seeking professional creative opportunities in the WV/MD/PA/VA/DC region, and continuing to sutain relationships in the NYC Tri-state region .

KURT E. GRIFFITH

Graphics • Design • Illustration • Photography • Print • Web • Consulting
161 Grove Heights Road
845 623 0940 • 304 500-2142
kurtg@fantastic-realities.com • www.fantastic-realities.com

OBJECTIVE

Accomplished, organized Graphics Professional with proven track record possessing traditional and digital skills seeks to execute fully realized design solutions in a senior creative position.

QUALIFICATIONS

• GRAPHIC COMMUNICATOR • DESIGNER AND ILLUSTRATOR • PHOTOGRAPHER
• PRINT • WEB • PRODUCTION • TECHNOLOGY • TRAINING & CONSULTING

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

• Created promotional poster from sketch to finished product entirely in the digital realm with minimal budget and compressed timeline for a charity event.
• Designed and executed a from-scratch promotional piece for a new luxury travel and lifestyle magazine.
• Created illustrations for a food service trade magazine.
• Participated with an art team that prepared a sample segment for an animated feature film as a graphic artist, cel painter, and title designer.
• Developed a new design for the NAACP annual Report. Integrated the organization’s mission, achievements and their financial data for an updated, polished look.
• Developed two incarnations of Elite Traveler Magazine’s Media kit. Integrated publisher and sales force material combined with a comprehensive promotional piece to create a distributable package.
• Led a design team and coordinated with the marketing, editorial and sales departments, developing an all new media kit for an expanded group of travel publications and services. Supervised Assistant Art Directors in maintaining department workflow. Brought the entire project’s disparate components into a cohesive whole for distribution to the sales force.
• Planned the redesign and redeployment of an entertainment web site recycling existing code and artwork. Assigned art tasks to Assistant Art Directors. Coordinated design efforts and production art to redress and prepare the new site for deployment in a fraction of the original development time.
• Supported the Creative Director of Elite traveler Magazine in the production of the launch issue. Executed production artwork, custom graphics, prepress and trafficking for all pages. Preflighted, and corrected advertisers’ art. Resulted in smooth production and traffic coordination.
• Hired and trained a new staff of freelancers for the Art Department of a relocated vendor of imprinted novelties. Instructed the new staff on art procedures, trafficking, studio techniques, darkroom operations, single and multicolor art preparation.
• Taught computer graphics for Computer Arts Forum, an experimental arm of Pratt Manhattan. Studied fundamentals of computer generated art. Demonstrated theories and introduced basic techniques to a broad spectrum of students.
• Organized the establishment of new design procedures at a direct mail house in response to the challenges of integrating Desktop Publishing into a traditional shop. Researched and evaluated DTP capabilities and limitations.

PROFESSIONAL SKILLS

ART DIRECTION
Promotional, Corporate & Magazine Design, Typography, Darkroom, Imaging, Art and Technical Training

DESIGN
Graphics, Display Typography & Logos, Book & Magazine Design, Web Design, Layout & Mechanical Art, Color Separation, Prepress Preparation: 4-Color, Spot, & Silkscreen Process Preparation, Comps and Mockups, Photography, Animation, Video Production and Editing.

ILLUSTRATION
B/W, Color, Cover, Editorial, Technical, Spot, Cartoon and Electronic.

PHOTOGRAPHY
Studio, Location, Product, Photoshoots, Photo-Compositing, Photo-Retouching.

SOFTWARE SKILLS / ELECTRONIC PUBLISHING & GRAPHICS
Adobe Creative Cloud/Suite including: Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat, InDesign, Dreamweaver, After Effects, Premiere, BB Edit, MS Word/Office, Apple Pages, Keynote, iMovie, GarageBand, Sound Studio, Electronic Illustration, Animation, Video Editing, 3D Modeling, Electronic Publishing, Associated MAC Support and System Software, IT basic Support, Seminar & Workshop Instructor

PROFESSIONAL HISTORY

Fantastic Realities Studio,
Berkely Springs, WV - 2014 - Present
Nanuet, NY - 2001 - 2014
OWNER & CREATIVE DIRECTOR, Graphics and Design Services

Art on Paper Magazine, Fanning Publishing, NYC - July 2003 - June 2004
Art Director, Webmaster, IT Manager

Elite Traveler Magazine, Universal Communications, NYC - 2001
Art Director, Prepress Technician & Web Designer

Crescent Publishing Group, NYC, New Media Group - 1998 - 2001
Senior Art Director, Web Designer

Universal Media, Inc., NYC - 1991 - 1998
Art Director, Marketing And Promotions

Drake Publishers, NYC - 1991
Art Director

Valco Reproduction, Brooklyn, NY - 1986-1990
Art Director

Best Seal Corporation, NYC & Edison, NJ -1980-1986
Art Director

SELECETED FREELANCE HIGHLIGHTS

Juliet Stewart, International Make-up Artist & JULIET Parfume;
Professional Website, Marketing and Promotional materials
Sprice Contracting, Inc.; Graphic Identity, and Professional Web Site
Four Quarters InterFaith Sanctuary;
Annual Institutional Calendars, Brochures, Web Site Admin, Four Quarter Meadery Wine Labels.
Ding-EZ, LLC; Video Production, Graphics, and Professional Web Site
Stern Agency; Graphic Identity, and Professional Web Site
EDS Healthcare & Clarkstown Pharmacies; Graphic Identity, and Professional Web Sites
Cases By Source; Product Catalogs
Academic Source, Inc.; Educational Product Catalogs
SG Risk, Inc.; Corporate Identity & Professional Web Site.
Pearson Education; Educational Product Catalogs, Trade Show Banner Graphics
Meeka Asayag; Namsate Garden Environments, Web Site Design & Redesign
Ettingger Engineering Associates; Graphic & Web Design, Advertising, Video Production
Rob Kron Custom Design; Logo Design, Graphic Identity, Website Development
RMS Business Advisors; Logo Design, Promotional Brochure
e-World Consulting and Education; Logo Design
Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Rockland County; Gala Invitation & Journal Cover
RB Works;
Marketing and Promotional Materials, Brochures, Fact Sheets, Print Ads, Trade Booth Graphics
Jezibell & The Inanna Company;
CD Cover Artwork, Production and Art Direction, Inanna: Journey of Darkness and Light
Superclubs; Sales Presentation
Four Winds Earth Chorus;
Logo Design, CD Cover Art, We Each Send A Voice, Web site
Cover Illustration, Philip Jose Farmer, Image of the Beast
Cover Illustration, Samuel Delany, Equinox
Masquerade Books; Book Cover Designs for RK Books Series
1996 NYC Witches Masquerade Ball; Benefit Poster, Promotional Websites 1998-2000
Dr. Michael Klaus; Corporate Identity & Promotional Graphics, Print & Direct Mail Advertising
Kim Anderson; Poet, Book Design
Patience T’ai Chi Association;
Staff Artist, Calligrapher, Computer Video Graphics, Brochures, Promotional Art
Peluro Imports; Corporate Identity Program
Schaeffer Foods; Advertising Illustrations
Metro Foodservice News;
Cover Illustrator, Comic Feature Writer/Artist, Corporate Promotional Graphics
Computer Arts Forum; Computer Graphics Instructor 1984-1985
Fashion Contacts Magazine; Staff Artist, Assistant Art Director
A.R.M. Productions; Animation Cel Painting & Titles, Record Album Graphics
Gold Key Entertainment; Promotional Media Illustration
Millimeter Magazine; Cover Illustration
Mitchell Cohen, Poet; Book Design and Illustration, Love and Rockets

EDUCATION

Pratt Manhattan, New York City
Professional Continuing Education, Fall 1990,
Electronic Publishing, Pagemaker, Adobe Illustrator, Quark Xpress

Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY
BFA with Honors 1980, Illustration and Graphic Design dual Major

Brooklyn Technical High School, Brooklyn, NY:
Class of 1976 w Honors Industrial Design Major

Contact us if you would like a PDF of Kurts Complete Resume.

Yikes! That's a lot of stuff! Just give me THE BASICS.

Interesting Stuff

Please Read our Studio Blog - Graphics, Design, Tech, Musings and Rants. Updated Randomly.

Available from FRS:
FANTSASTIC REALITIES - A Life In Art & Design A softbound edition of my 2017 Design Retrospective

Available from FRS:
A Rockland Fall, A chronicle of Digital Photography.

For the artsy ’toon fans – 
A is for ART, an Artist's Primer - a Digital Restoration
Hardcover Print Edition Now Available from FRS - A blast from the past brought back to life.

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