What does mural painting have to do with design? How do you translate colors and shapes you see on a small screen to a giant wall? What does it feel like to walk or drive by your work on such a large scale? We’re going to dive into answering all these questions and more during this West Michigan Design Week event, From Screen to Surface, a Muralist Panel.

Join AIGA West Michigan and our amazing panelists, Dave Battjes, Ty Davis, and Kristin Zuller for a discussion all about mural painting and design. Each of our panelists are skilled designers, illustrators, and all around creatives who have also left their mark on the city (literally!). Come learn about the mural design process, what it takes to pull off a large scale installation, and how each of them came to add “Muralist” to their list of skills.

Moderated by Elyse Flynn, AIGA WM President Emeritus.

5:30-5:45 Introductions

5:45-6:30 Panel Discussion

6:30-7:00 Q&A

--------

Learn more about our Panelists below!

Dave Battjes

Dave Battjes is a lettering Artist in Grand Rapids Michigan.

I’m geeked about all things letters and I use my passion for lettering whenever I can. When I was a kid I wanted to become a famous artist. I would check out every drawing book from the library to teach myself how to draw a dinosaur, the human body, anything I could! My need to create brought me to design school where I learned the rules of design and how to apply them to make things visually appealing to others. I exhausted the details of every project to make it better than anything I had created prior. My tenacity to better my craft led me to the realization that letters had always been my favorite medium.

Each letter has a set of rules that need to be followed in order for it to retain legibility for the user. Beyond that, the expressions are endless. I love large-scale, outdoor jobs, painting signs for a business or an expressive mural in the heart of a city. I’m just as happy putting pen to paper in my studio or practicing letterforms on an ipad. I use my skills to create murals, signs, logos, book covers, editorial spreads, anything that could use more life than a font can offer.

I have spent the better part of my artistic and design careers meddling with type and creating pleasing things to look at. I am passionate about communicating ideas through lettering and my goal is to provide positivity and inspiration to the world around me.

When I’m not immersed in a world of letters I enjoy spending time outdoors. You can find me smiling while hiking and camping with my family, swimming in Lake Michigan, and playing frisbee with my dog Banksy. I’ll rarely turn down a cold IPA, reason to ride my bike, or a chance to meet someone new. Check out more of his work on his Instagram page @davebattjes

Ty Davis

Tylan Davis is a graphic design and multimedia artist. His work explores experience and story telling through large scale environments. The style of his work and process are influenced by an interest in the history of commercialism and pop culture, and typically include historical symbols to convey the message. You can see more of his work here or on his Instagram page @tydavis.ai

Kristin Zuller

Kristin Zuller is a multidisciplinary artist from Grand Rapids, Michigan. She is inevitably driven to use nature, divine feminine representation, and surrealism in her work. With over fifteen years of experience in the marketing industry as a visual artist, she has worked in a range of different roles, from product creation to identity and brand building as well as illustration, print and digital pieces, large-format lettering and murals, and paper-cut three-dimensional art.

Kristin is a huge advocate of using art for healing trauma, expression, and exploration.