in their own words plus pictures
Jess Graham is the Art Director for the Alchemist Brewery. On top of doing the design work for the cans and labels, she also is responsible for the inspiring art you see around the brewery and even the new slick merch you'll find in the tasting room. I had the pleasure to meet with her at the brewery in late January to discuss her process, interests and get to know someone who embodies the vision of the Alchemist and their mission.
One of the things that was really great and natural in speaking to Thom was his obvious love and passion for music above all else. I think that having that in common allowed for an interesting and humble look at a great artist who is bringing to life a great brewery from Ohio. As I speak more with each artist I see that each of them play a unique and important role in the brewery and its vibe and that could not be any more reality than with Thom and Hoof. His love for the people there, who are his family and brothers comes through in his admiration for their hard work and dedication.
He also knows his shit when it comes to music. And not in a snooty way, but just as someone who loves a diverse catalog of music and appreciates all styles differently from punk to pop to electronica and many styles in between. He brings some of the love to life in his art and the work he does with Hoof. I hope this interview will help you get the joke and listen to a few tracks from Thom's band and go down the rabbit hole of a random play list and music recommendation. It's fun.
When I first started thinking about this project and how to make it a reality, Craig and his work at New England (Brewing Co.) was one of the artists of inspiration. As a self admitted NEBCO fanboy, I had grown to love the work of Craig and saw him as a fixture at one of my favorite breweries. With that said, I didn't have any expectations to get to interview him, but upon reaching out he couldn't have been nicer and humble about the inquiry.
This helped to validate what I hope you've come to enjoy here at the 16oz. Canvas, great people and great stories. This was one of our first interviews that we did live and it was great to be able to connect in 3-D at NEBCO. We enjoyed a few of their great beers and got chatting about Craig, his career, his art and his outlook on life. I'm sure you'll it enjoy it as much as I did.
Interviews like this are what get me excited about this project. Getting the opportunity to learn about the artist and how their story and timeline developed to bring us to this point. Dean has a great story and path that easily could have gone in several different directions and not ended up with one of the most popular breweries in the country creating some of the most well known label art in the scene. Things don't happen over night and hard work is key. I'm confident you'll learn a little something new about Dean and how he came to be where he is today.
