Lecture Series

Two journals with colorful, whimsical illustrations

D&I Speaker Series: Mary Kate McDevitt

Join us for a virtual talk with Mary Kate McDevitt, illustrator, lettering artist, and author, as she shares insights into her career crafting playful, colorful illustrations for clients like Target, Sur La Table, Pinterest, and Pixar. A Tyler alum, Mary Kate will discuss her journey from studying graphic design to finding her passion for lettering and illustration, as well as her experiences teaching, publishing, and staying creatively inspired. Plus, there will be free pizza at the in-person watch party!

This is an in-person event that will also stream on Zoom: Join us online

About the Speaker

Mary Kate McDevitt is an illustrator, lettering artist, and author based in Vermont. Mary Kate creates unique, playful, and colorful illustrations for both her clients and personal work to enrich the eye and mind. She has worked with a variety of clients including Target, Sur La Table, Pinterest, Facebook, Pixar and published books with Chronicle and Workman. She has a passion for teaching lettering and illustration and speaking at conferences about motivation, burn out, and inspiration. 

Mary Kate got her start at Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia, studying graphic design and graduated in 2007. She discovered her love of illustration and lettering through her design projects. Her passion continued by creating personal work that led to her working with established brands and excitement to follow her passion.  

When Mary Kate is not in her studio, you can find her antiquing, enjoying the outdoors, working on a renovation project or cozying up with her cats Gerald and Fig and her dog Dot.

This event is made possible through the Temple University General Activities Fund. 
Graphic Design Emblem for the Philadelphia Eagles

D&I Speaker Series: Mitch Wiesen (Spring 2025 Faculty Spotlight)

Join us for the Spring 2025 D&I Faculty Spotlight featuring Mitch Wiesen, an artist, designer, and multifaceted creative whose work spans branding, packaging, typography, and more. Plus, there will be free pizza!

This is an in-person event that will also stream on Zoom: Join us online

About the Speaker:

Mitch Wiesen is an artist and a designer and much, much more. Over the course of their eight year career, which spans three agencies, they have gotten to work on a wide range of projects in many different industries. From branding large universities and small nonprofits, to designing packaging for national mezcal brands and new to market aperitifs, they've even designed a smokable loaf of challah. With awards and recognition from Creative Quarterly, Applied Arts Magazine, AIGA, and The Dieline, under their belt, and a long list of very happy clients, they are now unrepresented by an agency and working for themselves as of 2025.

Outside of their design practice, they run a small font foundry called Deli Fresh Type Co., they mold young minds as an adjunct professor at the Tyler School of Art & Architecture, and they pursue various other creative interests as a tattooer, painter, printmaker and photographer. Above all else, they value learning, creating, and collaborating with other people, brands, and organizations who are equally passionate about what they do.

This event is made possible through the Temple University General Activities Fund. 
A woman with curly hair sits at a desk, looking confidently at the camera, with colorful artwork behind her.

D&I Speaker Series: Andrea Pippins

Join us for a virtual talk with Andrea Pippins, an illustrator, author, and storyteller whose work radiates empowerment, joy, and celebration of arts and culture. Plus, there will be free pizza at the in-person watch party!

This is an virtual talk with an in-person watch party in Tyler 240B, or Join us online

About the Speaker:

Andrea Pippins is a storyteller passionate about creating images that reflect empowerment, hope, joy, inclusivity, and celebration of the arts and culture. She is the artist of the bestselling Young, Gifted, and Black series and Young People’s Poet Laureate Elizabeth Acevedo’s world-renowned poem, Inheritance. Andrea is also the author and illustrator of Who Will You Be?, and has collaborated with Five Below, Nick Jr, HBO, MTV, and more.

Image: Photo by Sofia Runarsdotter.
This event is made possible through the Temple University General Activities Fund.