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Renaissance Creative | Art/Creative Direction | Copywriting

L. Kelly Pro

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  • About

    Graduated from college at the age of 12 with a double masters in Molecular Biology, specializing in the effects of phakopsora pachyrhizi on asian soybeans in non-indigenous continental U.S. + Northern Renaissance Art History, but opted out of scientific endeavors or antiquarian commentary in order to open up a light bulb manufacturing company (mostly halogen) in India at 19. Though after wearing lehenga cholis grew tediously uninspiring, seeing as I’d given up touring (classical pianist child prodigy) years before, sought out a PhD in neoclassical composition (particularly the ever popular silent symphonies for dogs) as well as opened up a culinary school for wayward vegan orphans.

    Dull, huh.

    Okay. More like seasoned Creative (art + copy), Crossword Author, Charity Founder, Paper Engineer, occasional Music Supervisor + Event Producer, former Pro Classical Ballet Dancer, independently-motivated, detail-oriented, friendly, freelance hybrid. Especially keen on branding assignments, those involving science, music, social justice, the environment, the arts, children or meaningful non-profit plus collaborative efforts with fellow chameleons who've never squealed, "You must have too much time on your hands!"​

    Incidentally, after an epic run as CEO of 24/7 Kiddos Ltd., this mom of two is ready to return to the workforce. 𝗜'𝗺 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬-𝟯𝟱 𝗵𝗿/𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 (advocacy • art • conservation • copywriting • design • marketing) or those with Hudson Valley roots, but would also consider relocation (to Seattle, WA in particular) for a gem of a full-time position and locale.

    Please say hello!

  • Education
    • BFA Graphic Design/Advertising
      School of Visual Arts
      1996 - 2000
      𝗛𝗢𝗡𝗢𝗥𝗦: SVA Rhodes Family Gold Medal for Outstanding Achievement as 1996-2000’s #1 BFA graduate (class of 550; GPA 4.0) in Advertising & Graphic Design //// Art Directors Club (ADC) Merit Scholarship //// Bea Feitler Merit Scholarship (SVA’s most prestigious design award) //// The One Club Merit Scholarship //// Screen Printing Technical Foundation Merit Scholarship //// SVA Departmental Honors Scholarship //// SVA Silas H. Rhodes Merit Scholarship //// SVA Visual Opinion Merit Scholarship | 𝗣𝗨𝗕𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦: 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘴 Annuals (18 Pieces) //// 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘻𝘪𝘯𝘦 (Featured two-page Interview) //// 𝘊𝘔𝘠𝘒 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘻𝘪𝘯𝘦 (Featured ad campaign) | 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗘𝗦: 𝘝𝘪𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘖𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯 (Editor/Writer)
  • Experience
    • Creative Direction
      Freelance
      Aug 2006 - Present (19 years 10 months)
      Highlights include mechanical paper engineering for the NFL, crossword authoring for Lena Dunham, catalogue minting for the largest American/European graffiti exhibition since 1970, award-winning UX design for Robert Redford’s Sundance Preserve, art direction for an HBO comic short, commercial music supervision for Macy's plus CD (AD/CW hybrid) responsibilities at design firms, interactive and integrated agencies in addition to independently commissioned fare.

      𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 &/𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. 𝗢𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝘆.

      𝗦𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗖𝗧 𝗖𝗟𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦: Amex //// boomBOOM //// Chronogram //// Council of Fashion Designers of America //// Condé Nast //// Consulate //// Cooper Robertson & Partners //// Delphi /// Digitas //// Gourmet Magazine //// Helenbeck Gallery, Paris //// HBO //// ID Magazine //// Imagination /// International Center of Photography //// Jelly NYC //// Lenny Letter /// Macy’s //// Millenium Communications //// NFL /// One Little Indian (Records) //// Other Music //// Paul Park Photography /// Proctor & Gamble //// Quaker Oats //// R/GA //// Ronzoni /// Sabre /// Samsung /// Subaru /// Time Out New York //// Towers Perrin //// Verizon /// Visual Arts Press

    • Children’s Environmental Health Advocacy
      Lead Poisoning / Artificial Turf / Toxic Playgrounds
      Oct 2023 - Jun 2025 (1 year 8 months)
      After learning my entire family had been chronically lead poisoned by negligent contractors, I became hypereducated on the dangers of Pb. Researching lead’s less expected whereabouts influenced a parallel interest in the hazards of artificial turf and synthetic playground surfacing materials, namely the incorporation of toxic, used tires and PFAS-packed plastic. Fave success advocacy story? Having exposed and shut down a prominent city-owned property subjecting babies and toddlers to lead dust over 182x the EPA’s former legal limit, resulting in a $1,000,000 abatement by Peter Buffett’s Novo Foundation. I’ve also joined forces with New York lawmakers to initiate and support affiliated bills, one of which unanimously passed the Senate.
    • Founder / Director
      CARE for Sandy
      Nov 2012 - Mar 2017 (4 years 4 months)
      Praised by Al Jazeera, CNN, PBS and others as a “critical” recovery group, CARE (Cherished Albums Restoration Effort) offered FREE digital restorations for hurricane- damaged photos. Nearly 2,000 gallery-quality treasures were meticulously repaired by hundreds of volunteers from 42 and 43 states. I dedicated close to 15,000 hours to CARE’s compassionate mission and oversaw every aspect of our operations, from archival management of 35,000+ files to public scanning events, advanced Photoshop tutorials, website and social upkeep. Sponsors included Google, Tiffen Dfx and GoDaddy/Virb. Request a Press Kit for details.

      *Will hopefully reactivate in the wake of future natural disasters.

      𝗦𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗖𝗧 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗦: *NEW (2025), Routledge "Conservation of Photographs Significance, Use and Care" (book profilee) //// ABC (TV + web) //// Adobe (web) //// Advanced Photoshop Magazine (print) //// Al Jazeera (TV) //// Animal (web) //// The Atlantic/CityLab (web) //// BBC/Public Radio International "The World"​ (radio + web) //// Brokelyn (web) //// Brooklyn Paper (print + web) //// CBC (Canada web) //// CNN (radio + web) //// Corbis (web) //// CW (TV) //// The Daily News (print + web) //// DNA Info (web) //// Fox News (TV) //// Gazeta (Russia web) //// Graphic Artists Guild (web) //// Help Portrait (documentary) //// Hyperallergic (web) //// Mylio (web) //// NBC (TV + web) //// News 12 Brooklyn (TV) //// NY1 "New Yorker of the Week"​ (pre-recorded TV + live interview w'​ "The Call"​) //// Newsday (print + web) //// NJ.com (web) //// NPR/WFUV (radio + web) //// NYC Media (yellow cab monitors) //// PBS "Need to Know"​ (webisode) //// The Philadelphia Inquirer (print + web) //// Resource Mag (web) //// TakePart (web) //// Time Out New York //// (print + web) //// Toronto Star (print + web) //// Univision (TV) //// Upworthy (web) //// The Wall Street Journal (print + web)
    • Permalance Creative (Art + Copy)
      DIRECTV
      New York, NY
      Oct 2009 - Sep 2014 (4 years 11 months)
      Now known as AT&T Entertainment Group, this satellite TV provider’s micro internal creative “shop” competes regularly with Deutsch and Grey for its own accounts. I art directed, wordsmithed short and long-form copy, paper engineered and even illustrated HUNDREDS of B2C & B2B promos for every line of business. Ceiling danglers, happy hour clocks, iPad ads, pull-tab counter toppers, doorhangers, brochures, infographics, children’s chorus scoring, magazine glossies, big box store POPs + too many other mediums to name have all permeated my sketchbooks. I also managed select freelance talent and junior creative staff.

      𝗔𝗙𝗙𝗜𝗟𝗜𝗔𝗧𝗘 𝗖𝗟𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦: AMC //// Amex //// Broadway Cares, Equity Fights AIDS //// CBS //// Disney //// Discovery Channel //// HBO //// MLB //// NBA //// NFL //// NHL //// Pixar //// Starz
    • Co-Founder / Partner
      Sideshows
      Dec 2009 - Dec 2010 (1 year)
      Music Production Company conceived in tandem with the Big Apple Circus in Damrosch Park at Lincoln Center. The recession thwarted our larger festival goals however 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘻𝘪𝘯𝘦 deemed our premiere evening (DeVotchka, Angus & Julia Stone + circus performers) “𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵” of 2010. Talent coordination, sponsorship corralling, general production, design, writing, research, UX and guerrilla marketing efforts. You name it, I tasked it.
    • Crossword Puzzle Columnist
      The L Magazine
      Mar 2008 - Dec 2008 (9 months)
      Befuddling strangers and their chewed No. 2s as a cruciverbalist? Indeed. Though similar in difficulty to midweek 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘠𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 fare, these formerly bi-monthly puzzles were peppered with mucho pop culture, Brooklyn and Gotham lore + general irreverence as befit the pub’s hipster audience. Titled crossword themes coordinated with issue themes.

      Copies were distributed via 𝘓 𝘔𝘢𝘨'𝘴 distinctive orange newsstands, side by side Village Voice et al. (Weekly Distribution = 105,000; No special software used.)
    • Associate Creative Director (Digital Art + Copy)
      Atmosphere BBDO
      Aug 2005 - Aug 2006 (1 year)
      Mentored several junior Cingular teams, led client presentations, orchestrated photo and video shoots, wrote, art directed and designed experiences of all digital varieties for this Don Draperland mainstay’s interactive/social division.

      𝗖𝗟𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦: AOL //// Cingular //// Citibank //// FedEx //// HBO //// Snickers
    • Senior Art Director + Copywriter
      McCann Erickson
      New York, NY
      Jul 2003 - Jul 2005 (2 years)
      Getting recruited to Joyce King Thomas' team MasterCard, including a nine-month period where I wrote, art directed and designed as an efficient triple-threat without a partner: $$$,$$$.

      Leaving city winters behind for lifestyle shoots in sol-kissed Los Angeles and Miami: Priceless.

      𝗖𝗟𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦: MasterCard //// Nikon Digital //// Rock the Vote //// Uniball //// Viagra
    • Art Director + Copywriter
      Amster Yard
      New York, NY
      Sep 2000 - Jun 2003 (2 years 9 months)
      My stint at this globally-focused, Interpublic advertising/design boutique involved oodles of product and action photo shoots, client relations, loads of alternate packaging, outdoor and guerrilla with an emphasis on comprehensive branding.

      𝗖𝗟𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦: Bacardí (Dominican Republic, Spain, USA) //// Bacardí Limón (Denmark, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain) //// Coca-Cola //// Excite //// Macy’s East, //// Martini (France, Italy, Spain) //// Outdoor Life Network (Tour de France, Louis Vuitton Cup, "𝘎𝘭𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘭 𝘌𝘹𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘴: 𝘔𝘵. 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵", International Skiing Federation) //// Partnership for a Drug- Free America //// PFLAG //// Vespa USA
      ards (Best OOH) //// 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭 𝘗𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘥 (España) “Premios” Awards (Best OOH)

      𝗙𝗨𝗡 𝗙𝗔𝗖𝗧: My first pitch out of college convinced Macy's to abandon its typographic brown bag for colorful bags featuring its iconic star. It was a surprisingly expensive change!
    • Adjunct Prof
      School of Visual Arts
      New York, NY
      Jan 2002 - May 2002 (4 months)
      Co-taught Senior BFA Advertising Portfolio Class with DDB's Jack Mariucci. (Then SVA’s youngest portfolio instructor, ever. Availability prevented a return.)
    • N.A. Promoter / General Ambassador
      Hey Hey My My
      Jul 2000 - Mar 2002 (1 year 8 months)
      *NOTE: Real dates = July 2007—March 2009; Swapped so more pertinent work experience will appear in truncated searches.

      I “discovered” this indie band whilst apartment-swapping in Pepé le Pew country. A fab new press kit and general hobnobbery snared HHMM their first prominent press from North American sources such as am New York, Time Out, Flavorpill and radio-tastemaker KEXP, plus a mini U.S. tour and two national commercials.
    • Children’s Art & Dance Whisssperer
      City of Kirkland Parks & Community Services
      Kirkland, WA
      Jun 1994 - Aug 1996 (2 years 2 months)
      Solo Cesar Millaned up to 155 high-energy short people (ages 3-12) per week within a variety of filled-beyond-capacity classes. Two-year accumulative roster? More than 800 memorized faces, personalities and names.

      P.S. If you can command a herd of children, you can command a boardroom....
    • Professional Classical Ballet Dancer
      Pacific Northwest Ballet
      Seattle, WA
      1990 - 1994 (4 years)
      Two-inch long false eyelashes, industrial strength hairspray, knotty knuckles, tour buses plus exponential pounds of jewel encrusted tulle. (Including skirmishes to Hawaii, Canada, France + the Kennedy Center.)
    • Professional Classical Ballet Dancer
      Royal Danish Ballet
      Copenhagen, Denmark
      1993 - 1993
      The correlations between Japanese golf, Sleeping Beauty and imperial puff pastries are astounding.
    • Professional Classical Ballet Dancer
      Pennsylvania Ballet
      Philadelphia, PA
      1992 - 1993 (1 year)
      Catapulting down a 19th-Century raked stage towards an open orchestra pit mid-Balanchine leap. (Naturally.)
  • Awards

    𝗡𝗘𝗪 (𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱) “𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘗𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘩𝘴, 𝘚𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘜𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘦” (book profilee) //// “𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘦 𝘠𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴: 40 𝘠𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘝𝘪𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘊𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦” (book profilee + exhibition) //// School of Visual Arts top 130 out of 10,000+ “most illustrious” Advertising & Graphic Design grads //// 𝘈𝘥𝘈𝘨𝘦 //// Applied Arts Magazine Design Awards (Canada) //// Commercial Closet Association Images in Advertising Awards (Best OOH) //// 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭 𝘗𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘥 (España) “Premios” Awards (Best OOH)) //// 𝘊𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘺 //// Global Effies (Gold) //// 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘻𝘪𝘯𝘦 //// Promax Sports Media Marketing Awards (Silver) //// University & Colleges Design Association Awards (Silver) //// W3 Awards (Interactive Gold) | 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗦 𝗜𝗡𝗖𝗟𝗨𝗗𝗘𝗦: NY1 "NEW Yorker of the Week", PBS, CNN, BBC/PRI, FOX, ABC, NBC, Univision, CW, CBC, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘑𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘰𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳, 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘖𝘶𝘵 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘠𝘰𝘳𝘬, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘢 𝘐𝘯𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘳, 𝘈𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘗𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘱 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘻𝘪𝘯𝘦, Corbis, Upworthy, NYC yellow cab monitors

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  • Industries
    • Advertising
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    • POP / Visual Merchandising
    • Publishing
    • Social Impact
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    • Art Direction
    • Branding & Corporate Identity
    • Content Strategy
    • Copywriting & Editing
    • Creative Direction
    • Graphic Design
    • Packaging Design
    • Photoshop
    • Typography
    • UX
  • Elsewhere on the Web
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