Thank you to Chad Jacobs for joining us for Immersive Conversations!
Chad is unique in that he is both a Fairgrounds St. Pete FLORIDARAMA Artist and our in-house Graphic Designer. Chad was accepted in our inaugural call for artists and then as we got to know him and his practice, he joined our team.
Chad knew from a young age that he wanted to parlay his drawing and illustration talents into a creative career. His work draws from pop culture and retro cartoons to develop vibrant, relatable characters that leave viewers a little bit happier than when they first set eyes on his work. While his preferred mediums are Prismacolor Markers, watercolors and pen & ink, the Savannah College of Art and Design graduate has used his digital skills to create graphic content for St. Pete arts organizations such as The Florida International Museum, The Dali, American Stage and the St. Petersburg Shakespeare Festival. Unlike many of his fellow FLORIDARAMA artists who had to scale down their work to fit in the confines of the diorama box, this exhibit gave Chad the opportunity to scale up and present his primarily pen & ink practice in a 3D space.
As both a Fairgrounds St. Pete FLORIDARAMA artist and our Graphic Designer he is in the unique position of being able to create a tiny universe with his diorama that lives within Fairgrounds while also contributing to the overarching narrative of the entire 15,000 ft2 exhibit. From outdoor signage to in-world pun-filled design elements, Chad is integral to enhancing each guest’s individual Fairgrounds choose-your-own-adventure experience. Leaving Easter eggs throughout the installation for those adventurous enough to explore to find them, he helps magnify the rich storyful experience that is Fairgrounds, elevating the experience from memorable to magical.
“As a graphic designer and illustrator, I see myself as a visual storyteller. Working with the Fairgrounds St. Pete team has allowed me to take an exploratory look into Fairgrounds’ narrative and visually represent its core themes in ways that will heighten the guest experience,” said Chad. “Getting to work alongside the production and technology team to see some of my 2D creations come to life in a 3D space is really exciting and I can’t wait to see how people are going to interact with them when we open.”
To view more of Chad’s work, check out: