Center for Puppetry Arts
Artist Statement: This project brought me joy. It took me back to my childhood and all of the imagination that I once had. It reminded me of Saturday mornings in front of the television watching the Muppets. I wanted to capture that same feeling in my video. My goal was to create life-like illustrations with vibrant colors that would grab attention from afar. I wanted to create something that would make people stop and watch.
Early in my career, I learned the importance of simplicity and creating in a way that allows the viewer to grasp all of the information in a short period of time. This helps with the memorization of what they viewed. I wanted to use this same principle in creating this Billboard for A&E's Local Stories. My goal was to make the viewers WANT to visit.
The movement is cohesive with the actual puppets as well as the theatre’s website, the colors are cohesive with the actual theatre and museum. I am really big on brand cohesiveness so even the curtains reflect the actual curtains inside of the Jim Henson museum. I wanted the billboard to FEEL like you're already there.
Becky “Bex” Russell is a multifaceted artist. Born in Rochester, MN to a single mother, she learned at a very early age that she had artistic abilities and always found ways to use them. She moved to Atlanta, GA in 1986 and Art became her therapy to cope with being the "New Kid". Seven years later, she left Atlanta and moved to Nashville, TN. This is where she turned her passion of art into a career. Bex had a very troubled youth and struggled in High School to the point of dropping out. While a junior, she soon realized that she would become a mother. She turned to her art teacher for guidance and from that moment, everything began to get better. She not only graduated, but she went on to Art College right after being the first in her family to do so. Her "entrepreneurial" journey started 2 years later in early 2001 customizing clothing for her students in an afterschool program. She then went on to design for local rap artists in Nashville which eventually led her to design for higher profiled clients like Missy Elliott, 50 Cent, Anthony Hamilton, Yo Gotti and a few more. Ten years after painting her first shirt and gaining notoriety for being labeled a "celebrity designer", she relocated back to her hometown of Atlanta and pivoted into Graphic Design and Brand Identity where she began designing for corporate companies, Colleges and Universities, music artists, aspiring entrepreneurs and again, gaining notoriety for her celebrity clients. Beyond her artistic endeavors, Bex is deeply committed to community engagement, championing positivity and kindness through her and her daughter's Good Human Campaign organization, which reflects her passion for making a positive impact in the world and being what she needed as a youth. Today, 23 years after painting her first shirt, she is thriving while writing her story of perseverance and overcoming obstacles through art.