Hi there, I'm Calee!
(I also answer to chimes.)
I’m a queer, nonbinary woman. I'm a designer, multimedia artist, educator, and aspiring bass player. I work and play in the fields I love most: art and design—the blurred line between those worlds is where I thrive. I'm passionate about design for good and social justice.
In my spare time, I design surface patterns, make art and home goods, craft, listen to and play music, write, spend time outdoors, and make delicious food.
Get in Touch
Thank you!
Artist Statement
Art and design have the power to tell stories that connect us and transform our lives. As an artist and designer, I am responsible for creating opportunities for these experiences. At the crux of my work is my desire to find and strengthen connections between people and the world around them.
To actualize this desire, I use many mediums in my work and focus on bringing visibility to the otherwise overlooked. The voices I strive to amplify through video, imagery, and text belong to people who have historically not been given platforms to tell their stories. I aim to broaden the definition of art and design so that it spans disciplines, sparks inclusion, and creates impact in surprising places. Part of achieving this goal requires making my work accessible to all people by documenting it through a variety of modes and listening to feedback.
I wholly embrace the iterative process of design, using people’s reactions to and interactions with my art to fuel the next generation of my work. To provoke and challenge myself further, I employ randomness and scarcity in all of my creative endeavors. For example, juxtaposing seemingly unrelated ideas with my subject matter disrupts my thinking patterns and helps me see problems in a new light. Enforcing material or budget limitations on myself allows me to innovate with less and conceptualize art and design as meditations in sustainability.
My dedication to the pursuit of making also compels me to explore and combine numerous crafts. I constantly experiment with new art and design techniques, both physical and digital, often mixing processes in unexpected ways. Textual, 2D, 3D, and time-based elements often mingle in my work, and I allow my message to take many forms and evolve. I intentionally use vibrant color and juxtaposed media to question conventional standards for art and design and what purpose they can serve.
At the end of each day, I hope to discover something new through my work and create pieces that facilitate meaning between and within people. Whether it takes the form of conversation or introspection, I want people to engage personally with my art and walk away with a feeling of connection previously unknown.
Technical Expertise
Graphic Design
Art and creative direction, brand development, design research and development, experience design, identity design, packaging design, publication design, surface and repeat pattern design
Interactive Design and UX
Multimedia production, sound design, UX/UI Design, video and video production, web design, and front-end development
Art and Making
Acrylic painting, brush lettering, calligraphy, digital painting, drawing, generative art, embroidery, illustration, knitting and crocheting, sewing, watercolor painting
Writing and Social Media
Blogging, content management, copywriting, creative writing, editing, social media management
Academia
Lecturing, guest lecturing, research and development, substitute teaching, university teaching
Leadership and Management
Art direction, event planning, strategic planning, public speaking
Tools and Technologies
Adobe Creative Cloud, CSS3, HTML5, JavaScript, Maxon Cinema 4D, Microsoft Office, PHP (beginner), WordPress
Other
Music history, radio hosting, and broadcasting