Brandon Ívan Cielo Rodriguez Venegas
About
Who am I as a creative?
I am a University of the Arts BFA Graphic Design program 2022 graduate, Senior Citation Award of Excellence winner, and multifaceted artist. Also, I really really LOVE Chicken.
Unique and varied projects excite me, even if they keep me up at night. I am known to be a bit of a perfectionist, but I have learned that mistakes are learning opportunities to gain valuable experience, and sometimes they can lead to my best work.
You can not know success if you have never known failure.
Professionally I have been the only designer in the room defending my design choices. I am now looking to work on varied projects in a studio environment because I want to work with fellow creatives.
News
The Senior Citation Award of Excellence is Awarded to Brandon Rodriguez
After a year of dedicated work, I completed my senior thesis project, Mitos Encantada (Enchanted Myths), an online encyclopediac experience website with three Puerto Rican Taino myths, written, translated, illustrated, designed, and built by me. The site also contained a dedicated 7,000+ word dictionary also written by me, including a bibliography. The best part is that this site is live, and an ongoing passion project of mine.
After all of my efforts, I was awarded the Senior Citation Award of Excellence by the University of the Arts graphic design department as a result of garnering enough points before a panel of 10+ judges before my peers.
In Camden, this group helps low-income kids launch careers
by Parija Kavilanz
I was recently written about by a wonderful journalist at CNN, back in April 2018.
“Camden, New Jersey, has offered Brandon Rodriguez some harsh life lessons and some surprising opportunities.”
Check it out here to get to know a little about my upbringing.
The Artists Upstairs Camden Fireworks Annual Group Art Exhibition 2019
Back in 2018, through a connection with my friend and mentor Marcy Morris, I discovered Camden Fireworks. Fireworks is an art gallery on South Broadway carved out of an old firehouse. The building was repurposed into an apartment and then to provide studio spaces for artists, while hosting exhibitions for both Camden City and visiting artists alike.
It was here that I became acquainted with Cassie, the poet who ran the space and welcomed me into my very first studio. It was also here, that I shared my very first exhibition with my fellow artists from the studio spaces upstairs in November 2019.
Brandon’s Personal Design Business Takes Off!
I began my web design journey back in October 2017 with the help of the non-profit organization Hopeworks ‘N Camden. Then located on State Street in North Camden; for six months I worked as a web design intern designing and building websites for Hopeworks’ clients.
Developing my skills as both a web designer and professional entrepreneur, Hopeworks provided the support I never knew I needed. Check out their article about me below.
Contact
I refer to my email for all business inquiries. Feel free to connect with me for freelance projects or just to say hello! You can contact me by filling out the contact form below.
If you are interested in my Puerto Rican artwork, feel free to visit my senior thesis project website, an ongoing passion project of mine. ENCANTADA is an online encyclopedia of Puerto Rican Taino myths researched, re-written, illustrated, and designed by me.
If you are interested in my Latin artwork for sale, check out my online Etsy store Vené. These pieces are my tools for educating people about Puerto Rican culture through art, and I will continue to add new pieces eventually representing all Latin cultures. Keep up with new artwork in the store and works in progress on the Vené Instagram page.