Who would have thought that in 2015 we could have guest speakers lecture without leaving their homes? When I first came to Marywood, I didn’t think I would be Skyping anyone except for my mom. But thanks to Steven Brower and the art department, we can use Skype to get in contact with some of the top design and illustration professionals in the industry.

On Tuesday, March 3rd, the art department will be holding the next Connect Speaker Series event with Mikey Burton. The Connect Speaker Series has been going on for the past few semesters and features a Skype session with a design/illustration professional. Everyone gathers into the Shields Center (room 135) and we get to ask the artist questions about their work for about an hour. In the past we have had artists such as Jessica Hische, Gail Anderson, and James Victore speak.

Mikey Burton attended Kent State University and refers to himself as a “Designy Illustrator.” His list of clients include Converse, Facebook, Esquire, and the New York Times. His work has both an old-school letterpress and a modern illustrative feel to it, which makes for a pretty cool combination. I especially enjoy his Converse designs….I mean, who wouldn’t want to design shoes for Converse? Talk about your dream job.

If you want to find out more about Mikey and the design industry, come to Shields 135 Tuesday from 3:15 to 4:30 pm for an informative and fun Skype session.

Featured image: Illustration for Monocle feature “UK Report” by Mikey Burton. http://www.mikeyburton.com/#/monocle-uk-report/