A Simple Slice for Local Artists

This summer I got to work on a project that felt close to home. Up North Arts and local artist Anthony Slaughterhawk asked if I’d help turn an idea into a shirt for the Cadillac Art Festival. Anthony wanted to use a pizza slice with the words “Support Local Artists” inside. It was a way to keep the message light but clear, with the focus on supporting artists in our community.

I liked the idea right away. It was fun, and it felt like something people would actually wear.

From Sketch to Shirt

I started the design on paper when Anthony and I met to brainstorm ideas. I then made sketches in Procreate on my iPad, perfecting the lettering and idea. After getting the sketch where it needed to be, I moved everything into Illustrator to clean up the lines and test out colors.

The goal was to keep it simple while making sure it would print well on shirts.

Keeping It Simple (and Affordable)

Since this was for a local nonprofit, we wanted to keep printing costs down. The design was set up for full color, but we decided to use a knockout technique, letting the shirt color show through as one of the colors. It helped us keep it to two ink colors while still looking like a full color design.

This approach kept things affordable and made the shirts easy to produce without losing the feel of the design.

Out in the Community

It’s so nice seeing all the support of the community (they almost sold out the shirts in a day!) and people texting me photos of their kids wearing the shirt. It’s a reminder that supporting local art isn’t just about buying a painting or a print. It’s also about showing up and sharing the message in small ways.

Why It Matters

Projects like this are why I love working with local organizations. It’s a way to use design to support the people and places we care about. It doesn’t have to be complicated to make a difference.

If you see these shirts around Cadillac, know that they’re helping to support local artists. And if you’re looking to bring a project like this to life for your event or organization, I’d love to help.

Dani

Timelapse below of the early design in Procreate.