Dan Zeis is a graphic designer who resides in Buffalo. His 20+ years of experience in Graphic design have garnered him countless awards. He designed the logo for The Buffalo Powder Keg Festival, as well as the poster for the upcoming Buffalo Infringement Festival, which will take place July 22 - August 1, 2010.

Yesterday, Zeis, who has recently moved back to Buffalo (but stil works out of NYC), sat down and told us a little of what goes into his designs. He also delved into how he became a graphic artist, and what it was like living in New York City.

RW: Tell the readers a little bit about yourself. What is your educational background?

Zeis: I come from a family of nine brothers and sisters. I was born and raised in Lackawanna. My college career began at Bryant and Stratton. There was a contest at the time where you could enter one drawing. The prize was a full scholarship to Bryant and Stratton. My Art teacher at the time went behind my back and entered my drawing into the competition. It was my first contest that I had ever done. From there, I went to RIT. I studied Painting and Graphic Design. 

RW: How did living in Manhattan for so long change you?

Zeis: It is very different than here in Buffalo. Sometimes I wonder how I am still alive. I lived in Manhattan for 23 years. I really liked it there, but the older I got, the less I took advantage of the environment. You are paying all this money to live there, for what? I bought this [Buffalo] house three years ago with the intention of being able to work from home. This arrangement is contingent on me spending at least a week and a half in New York City each month. Since that time, the company I work for has laid off two-thirds of its workforce. 

RW: Did you always envision yourself as an artist? Did you ever see yourself doing anything else for a career?

Zeis: I always wanted to be a painter, but I chickened out basically. I wanted to know when and where my next paycheck was coming from. I can honestly say that since the age of four years old I knew that I wanted to be a writer. I never considered anything else.

 

RW: Of all the posters you have designed/created, which one are you the most proud of?

Zeis: The poster I designed for the Buffalo Infringement (left) was something very different for me. Right now, I'm very corporate in the designs I do. The poster I designed for the Allentown Art Festival (2006 clay houses) is one that I am very proud of. I have won many different awards in my career for different competitions, but the only one my parents can remember is the one for the Allentown Art Festival.

RW: Are there any famous artists that you use as inspiration?

Zeis: I don't necessarily pattern myself after any specific artists. I am influenced though the Bauhaus design. RIT was a very Bauhaus-type school.

RW: How special was it for your poster to be named the winning design for the Inaugural Buffalo Powder Keg Festival?

Zeis: I was totally psyched when I first found out about it. I will be even more psyched when I go downtown and see it at the Powder Keg Festival. This is really the only area of my life in which I am competitive. It brings out the competitive nature in me.

RW: How difficult was it to secure a sponsorship to sell your posters at the festival? 

Zeis: It never came to fruition. I was going to do it out of pocket, but I was advised against it. I wanted to print out about 500 posters, but the price was around $500, which was too much for me. [Ed note: We'll update you if these become available.]

RW: Is there any event or period in time that you wish you could have designed a poster for?

Zeis: I wish I would have had the opportunity to design posters for The Continental, an old punk club that was on Franklin Street in Buffalo. It was Buffalo's version of the CBGB club. Doing the event and band posters for that place would have been nice.