Author: Greg Pokriki

On Saturday, April 7, Villa Maria College hosted the annual 2018 Portfolio Review. As Part II of the AAF Buffalo Portfolio Series, this event focused on putting what students learned from Part I, the Portfolio Seminar, into practice. Art directors, graphic designers, freelancers and other visual communication professionals from all over Buffalo came ready with business cards in tow and advice at the ready. Senior, junior, and sophomore students from Villa Maria College, University at Buffalo, Buffalo State College, Daemen College, and Rochester Institute of Technology were also in attendance and ready for professional feedback and insightful guidance.

Designed like speed networking, the Review consisted of one-on-one interviews with a professional and a student to assess the student’s portfolio and provide critiques when needed. The Review allowed for the students to not only gain interview practice, but also learn about how to most effectively talk about their work in the time allotted. Not only is this event beneficial for student portfolios, it is also an excellent networking event for those nearing graduation. Many past attendees have gained connections, internships and even jobs from the Portfolio Review!

Students presented their work from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with an intermission for lunch. This allowed for even more networking opportunities for students to connect with professionals after their quick interview. At the end of the review, we asked our professionals to vote on the “best” portfolio in their expert opinion, and who was most deserving of our three scholarships.

Congratulations to these three students, who not only took home professional validation, but also an AAF Buffalo scholarship as well:

1st Place: Francesca Bubb – Villa Maria College

2nd Place: Cassie Chu – Buffalo State College

3rd Place: Emma Roberts – Buffalo State College

And a special thank you to our professionals who gave up their Saturday morning for us:

Katie Arcara from The Chapel
Peter Arcara from Dpost
April Brown from Delaware North
Darryl Colling from Crowley Webb
Joe Conti from The Revs Agency
Collin Corcoran from Delaware North
David Gram from Say What Group
Nicole Reinard from Crowley Webb
Jamie Ruminski from Delaware North
Zack Schneider from FIFTEEN
Brittney Sikora from White Bike
Megan Sweeney from Gelia
Sarah Walczak from Farm
Amanda Widzinski from Crowley Webb
Jason Yates from Gelia

Who are a few artists, writers, designers, or creatives you admire? Who inspires you to do better work?

“Good artists copy. Great artists steal.”

Paige Meckler

Beyonce inspires me. She may be a celebrity, but she’s much more than that. She’s fierce, she’s confident, she’s a feminist, she’s bold. She is passionate about what she believes in and inspires me to be the same. Our members should also check out Michael Smart. Michael Smart is a PR pro that helps people in the industry improve their pitching success and enhance their PR writing. He’s a genius for us PR folks specializing in media relations. I went to his conference in Chicago. Check it out! 

Andrew Bevevino

Writers – Ned Vizzini, Hunter Thompson, Christopher Moore, Stephen King

Musicians – Father John Misty, Mac DeMarco, King Krule (Archy Marshall), ScHoolboy Q

Comedians – Dave Chapelle, Mike Birbiglia

Greg Pokriki

To name just a few: Donald Glover, Bo Burnham, Frank Ocean, Chance, David Sedaris, Steve Rushin, Tom Verducci. I don’t think artists don’t have to be in the same discipline to inspire you.

Erin Haskell

I read Fast Company daily – I like the quirky stories they have that merge business, marketing and culture.  

Brittany Klotzbach

I personally have a lot of appreciation for good photography. I don’t have any specific photographers in mind when I say that, but there’s something special about coming across a breathtaking photo.

April Brown

For designers, and really any creative-minded human, inspiration can come from anywhere. I know that sounds suuuper artsy fartsy, but really–at the most random times throughout my day I’m inspired–the color that someone chose to paint the window trim on their house, the pattern on some crusty vintage wallpaper, the way a fancy meal is plated, the shapes that are made on the ground when the sun shines through a tree, and on and on and on…

But to give you a more tactile answer, designers who inspire me:

1. James Victore: Radical and inspiring talks, his mantra is “make work that matters, have an opinion, and love something other than yourself” I highly suggest giving a listen to his “Burning Questions” series on YouTube.
2. Lauren Hom: Playful letter / illustrator who isn’t afraid to share her process and technical progression. Check out her series #HOMwork and sign up for it through the link on her instagram!
3. Tad Carpenter: Clever yet strategic mid-century modern style designer / illustrator. If nothing else, given him a follow on Twitter and prepare to be enlightened, and definitely check out the work on his website. He’ll be coming to a Big Ditch Brewery near you this May! Score.

Dan Nesselbush

Tough question and if I sit down and think about it, I don’t think I really have any specific person that serves as an inspiration.

There is a lot of hero worship in the marketing industry – I’m sure you all know some of the names I’m thinking of – and that whole idea in a creative industry feels a little dirty to me.

I guess with that response my inspiration is probably the first old man to ever yell “Get off my lawn!” to a bunch of kids.