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- Designed by Sarah: September 2025 Studio Recap
Designed by Sarah: September 2025 Studio Recap
This email has 3 studio updates, 1 neat aminal fact, ~262 cool websites I think you should see, 1 workshop, 1 event, and 6 funding/residency opportunities
Remember that time I bugged you for your mailing address a few weeks ago? Well, if I had your correct mailing address you mostly likely have gotten a cute little surprise in your mailbox by now featuring a revamped edition of UNFOLDED, the publication that celebrates creativity and curiosity.
If you’ve been around for awhile, you’ll remember this used to be a much bigger, multi-page newspaper with articles, puzzles, portraits, and interviews. Turns out, that was logistically really difficult to do for several reasons; while I’m no stranger to spending a lot of time on something a lot of people may look at for 15 seconds and put down, ordering a 16-page newspaper from the UK and mailing it out to 500 people was actually quite expensive.
This new version is the envelope and the publication all in one; printed at home on the riso, then folded and mailed with a single stamp. It’s not free, but it’s certainly a LOT more economical!!!
Did you get yours? If not, here’s what I have for your mailing address:
Name:
Address Line 1:
Address Line 2:
City, State, Zip: ,
Is this wrong? Reply to this email and I’ll update it for you.
Is this right? Take it up with your mail carrier! I put that on a mailing label and sent it out.
This went out to all free subscribers because I can’t help myself, but what’s next for paid subscribers? I’m working on printing and binding the next zine in the queue: this piece by Austin Ray on his favorite airport cheat code. If you’re a paid subscriber this week (that is, you can sign up right now!) you’ll get your very own copy of Drinking The Largest Beer At The Airport Makes Everything Better, lovingly illustrated by Josh Lafayette.
It’s really good. Being a paid subscriber basically covers materials and shipping for Treats – so, get on it.
Warmly,
Sarah
👉 The Making of Smokey Bear
The USDA Forest Service partnered with the Atlanta Airport Art program on a new exhibit featuring Smokey Bear, and I was brought in to help bring the story to life, designing a timeline, display cases, and the pillars in the airport atrium so that they could speak to and inform each other.
This exhibit wasn’t just about Smokey Bear; it centered around Rudy Wendelin, the USFS staff illustrator who was the main steward of the Smokey image. He painted hundreds of Smokey images throughout his ~40 year career with the USFS and afterwards, until his passing in 2000.
Maybe you’ll grab the largest beer at the airport before your next flight and go enjoy this lovely exhibit.
How to Find Smokey in the Airport ➔
👉 Food as Medicine
I worked with Bluebird Consultants and the Food is Medicine Coalition to design a major print ad in USA Today’s September Special Edition. This newspaper is the fifth-largest print circulation in the US, and combined with the digital access, we can say that millions of people saw this piece. I loved running around the city grabbing copies for myself!
Join the Movement ➔
👉 Wish Garden
Alta Planning wanted to dream up an activation that checked a lot of boxes. They brought me in to make something that: encourages play, was interactive, gathered feedback, was portable, and was photogenic! We developed this concept of a Wish Garden, a place where you could leave your wishes for the Perimeter district and explore others. Bonus shout out to Ashley and Thomas for letting me build this in their carport during the weeks and weeks of rain we had in July and August. Now I want a carport.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I read The Feather Thief over the summer, a completely bonkers but true story about one of the largest heists of rare birds and their feathers in history. I found myself looking up every bird they mentioned, especially the Resplendent Quetzal, a small bird found in Central America and Mexico. They have beautiful long tails that take 3 years to develop, and a distinct call that sounds like "very-good very-good.” Listen to it (and see them flying) here.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
 Introduction to Propagation Methods Hey pal, have you ever wanted some… free plants? Well, the best way to do that is going to be to propagate the ones you or your friends have (no stealing). This workshop is especially cool because it’s taught by Eric Mack from the Kai Garden, an unusual and rare plant nursery in East Lake. |  Bingo at Boggs Want to raise money for a good cause and win prizes? My friend Keri and I are hosting bingo at our neighborhood bar and raising funds for one of my favorite nonprofits: The Wren’s Nest. Last time we hosted bingo, we raised $500 (yes: FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS) for Lifeline Animal Center. See you there? |
👉 The Creative Cheat Sheet
One time, a long time ago, my brother was like “don’t you work for the internet?” Reader, it feels like that sometimes. I found this Creative Cheat Sheet curated by Tony Bowe and was thrilled to see so many tools and resources I’d never discovered before: under the radar stuff, visual technique, font resources, and things for brainstorming. I could spend hours scooting around all of the recommendations in here. It’s a nice reminder that things don’t need to be complicated to be great if there is substance.
Honorable mentions:
I will be honest, since Pantone stopped integrating easily with Adobe products I have rarely used it. Instead what I’ve been playing with a lot lately is the HEX color to Sherwin Williams converter. Printers usually charge to color-match a Pantone color, but do you want to paint your office your new brand colors? This' will help.
This little clamp tape dispenser is super cute
It’s merch month for everyone apparently and I stumbled on this list of souvenir fashion show invites. I wonder if anyone would let me make them custom extruded pasta? You, ??
I’m not saying I would tell anyone if I won the lottery but there would be signs
We are underway interviewing WONDER Grant applicants! In the meantime, here are some additional funding opportunities:
A.I.R. Fellowship Program, Brooklyn NY
A 12-month fellowship for women and non-binary artists in the NYC area, offering mentorship, professional development workshops, and a solo exhibition at A.I.R. Gallery. Fellows also receive a $3,000 grant to support their practice.
Deadline: November 7, 2025
Money for Women / Barbara Deming Memorial Fund
One of the oldest feminist granting programs in the U.S., this fund awards $500–$2,000 to feminist artists and writers working in visual art and fiction. Projects should center feminist perspectives and advance social justice for women.
Deadline: January 31, 2026
Velocity Fund, Philadelphia PA
This re-granting program awards $5,000 each to 12 Philadelphia-based artists or collectives for experimental, collaborative, and publicly engaged visual art projects. Projects must take place in Philadelphia and include a public component.
Deadline: November 13, 2025
CatchLight Fellowship
Three visual storytellers receive $30,000 each plus mentorship and publication opportunities to develop a social-impact visual journalism project. Fellows join a global network shaping the future of visual storytelling.
Deadline: December 2025
Artadia Awards
Artadia provides $15,000 unrestricted grants to visual artists in select U.S. cities, including Houston, Atlanta, and Los Angeles. Awards recognize artistic excellence and offer winners national exposure and career development.
Deadline: November 1, 2025
Roswell Artist-in-Residence Program, New Mexico
Known as “The Gift of Time,” this residency provides one year of free housing, studio space, and a $1,200 monthly stipend to six visual artists. Residents focus solely on their creative practice in a supportive, distraction-free environment.
Deadline: March 15, 2026
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Become a paid subscriber and you’ll get random things in the mail from me at certain intervals. I only send stuff when I have cool stuff to send, so I can promise it will actually be something I think you’ll like.
Here is stuff I’ve sent out in the mail recently:
 Ridiculous interactive board game postcards that use AR |  Silly bumper stickers (and other stickers from other artists) |  Issues of Unfolded, my quarterly-ish newspaper about creativity |
Paid subscribers also have access to my personal notes about the best printers, screen printers, photographers, embroiderers, and the best places to find the most interesting custom swag, with best practices and any issues I had.