East Lansing, Michigan, United States
Hi! I’m Zoë. I’m an arts communicator, letterpress and linocut printmaker, and film photographer located in East Lansing, Michigan. I hold a bachelor of arts degree in media and information (with a concentration in film and media production and a minor in documentary production) and a master of arts degree in strategic communication (with certificates in digital media and organizational communication for leadership) from Michigan State University. I work on MSU’s campus as the director of communications at the art museum, and I love the creativity each day brings. Beyond my work in communications, marketing, and public relations, I am a Michigan Emmy Award-winning video editor and producer, with my films screened at international festivals and distributed worldwide. I’m happiest when I’m creating, and I’ve recently found a passion for letterpress and linocut printmaking. My partner and I print on a Chandler & Price jobbing press as Three Letter Press, where we combine linoleum block cuts with traditional, hand-set lead type for wedding invitations, stationary, passion projects, and more. As a film photographer, I’ve had the opportunity to grow my own business too—offering a thoughtful product line for analog and instant film photographers looking to digitize and archive their film photography. In my spare time, you’ll find me enjoying time with our dog and cat, working on house projects, or driving through the state, exploring Michigan history and visiting estate sales, searching for antiques (uranium glass!).
+ Creating and implementing public relations, marketing/communications, advertising, and digital media campaigns and strategies for targeted audiences to advance the museum, its initiatives, partnerships, and role on campus + Driving attendance and visibility through public relations, media management, and external affairs + Promoting the museum to local, regional, national, and international audiences through print, digital, and radio advertising + Producing significant publications for exhibitions and programming + Contributing to the development of the museum’s strategic plan + Developing and managing the communications department’s budget + Managing web, graphic design, photo, and video projects with external vendors + Acting as the Big Ten Art Museums communications representative for the MSU Broad Art Museum + Supervising a communications team, including paid student assistants
+ Completing the museum’s website redesign for a more user-friendly platform, including a rebranding + Designing print and digital collateral, and coordinating with external vendors
+ Managing the museum’s online presence, including content creation, copywriting, advertising, and analytics/KPIs for social media, enewsletters, and the website + Enforcing the museum’s editorial standards and brand standards for digital media + Introducing digital strategies with a focus on digital accessibility best practices
+ Developing products for analog photographers to address their photo scanning needs, while solving the common issue of Newton Rings—artifacts that result from two reflective objects being pressed against each other, in this case instant photos and flatbed scanning glass + Marketing and selling products in an online store + Maintaining and updating the ecommerce website
+ Writing, filming, editing, and producing weekly vlogs on the YouTube channel Growing Up Blue + Gaining 1,000 subscribers from 45 videos produced within the first year, qualifying for channel monetization and commissions
+ Working with a small team of creatives to interview clients and produce videos for promotional and commercial purposes + Editing engaging content to be delivered to a variety of clients, including Capital City Film Festival, Lansing 5:01, Maru Sushi, MDOC, MSU Veterinary Medicine, Plumbers Local 98, and ZF Robotics
+ Assisting as a consultant for Professor Holmes’ MI 337 Compositing and Special Effects course at MSU + Teaching undergraduate students Adobe After Effects, with a focus on digital creation, detail-oriented critical thinking, team projects, and storyboard development