CRANBROOK ACADEMY OF ART
Mason Goolsby is an artist/graphic designer. He received his BFA in Graphic Design from VCUarts in 2019. Growing up as a queer person in the “Bible Belt” brings unique hardships, and living openly in this area of the country often results in ostracization by religious organizations and faith communities. Such experiences have helped mold Goolsby’s values, spirituality, identity, and ultimately, his graphic design practice. Following his undergraduate study, working as a freelance designer in NYC, he was called to create work exploring the nuances of living life after experiencing religious and cultural trauma. Goolsby’s approach to graphic design and art is to synthesize complex ideas into digestible media for an audience through familiar imagery. The opportunity to give form to forgotten stories and unspoken experiences is something he explores in his time at Cranbrook Academy of Art, where he is currently an MFA candidate in the 2D Design Department.
IF THERE WERE NO BARRIERS AND CONSTRAINTS, WHAT PROJECT WOULD YOU WANT TO WORK ON?
I would love to partner with a nonprofit like The Trevor Project, to create a massive campaign to help further spread awareness about resources for LGBTQIA+ youths.
WHAT ARE YOU READING/LISTENING TO/WATCHING?
I’m currently listening to The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley on audiobook, and watching Succession and The Great.
WHO IS SOMEONE YOU LOOK UP TO IN YOUR FIELD?
My mentor from my time at VCUarts, Nicole Killian, is an educator and designer who I greatly admire. As an educator they challenge old modes of design pedagogy and hold space for emerging queer and marginalized designers. Their commitment to design and their students is something that I wish to model in my own design practice.
