SPRING 2023 – VISITING ARTIST, SCHOLAR, AND DESIGNER PROGRAM
TRÉ SEALS is a multidisciplinary designer and font foundry creator. After graduating in 2015 with a degree in Visual Communication Design, Seals went on to open his brand consultancy known as Studio Seals. Through Studio Seals, he worked with over 250 partners, ranging from small startups to national and global brands. In 2016, he founded a diversity-driven type foundry known as Vocal Type. Inspired by the lack of diversity in the graphic design industry, each typeface highlights a piece of history from a different underrepresented race, ethnicity, or gender—from the Women’s Suffrage Movement in Argentina to the Civil Rights Movement in America and beyond. Since founding Vocal Type in 2016, Seals’ fonts have gone from being inspired by progressive movements to becoming a part of them: taking shape in the form of Black Lives Matter street murals, brand campaigns for the 2020 Virtual March On Washington, political campaigns like that of Stacey Abrams, logos like the Amazon Labor Union, and so much more. Seals created custom fonts and designed the book SPIKE, a monograph of the filmmaker and cultural icon, Spike Lee. Seals has earned numerous accolades for his work including being named an Ascender by the Type Directors Club, a Young Gun by the One Club for Creativity, a Black Design Visionary by Instagram and the Brooklyn Museum, and one of the 2023 Forbes 30 Under 30. His current solo exhibition at the Branch Museum of Architecture and Design in Richmond, VA is titled Characters: Type and Progress.
Tré Seals’ is the VASD Program’s Spring 2023 designer. Go here to learn more about the VASD Program.
Becoming Vocal – Designer Talk by Tré Seals
Tuesday, March 14, 2023
Designer Talk – 5:30 p.m. MST | Faculty + Staff Appreciation 4:45 p.m. MST
Mary Harris Auditorium + Philip J Steele Gallery
Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design
1600 Pierce Street, Denver, CO 80214
This event is free and open to the public. Free refreshments are provided.
REGISTER HERE to attend in person on the RMCAD campus >
If experience is the best teacher, then observation is the best tutor. Becoming Vocal is a culmination and exploration of the experiences and observations that led founder, Tré Seals, to start Vocal Type Co., a peek at what is to come, and thoughts on inclusivity. In addition to engaging with our distinguished visiting designer, Tré Seals, we will celebrate RMCAD faculty and staff with a closing reception of the Biennial Faculty + Staff Exhibition.
For questions about accessibility or to request accommodations for this event, please contact Gretchen Marie Schaefer at gmschaefer@rmcad.edu or 303-995-8353. Requests should be made as soon as possible, but no less than 5 business days prior to the scheduled event.
How Type Works – Workshop with Tré Seals
Wednesday, March 15, 2023
9:45 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. MST
Epic 110
Deadline to sign up: Monday, March 6, 2023
RMCAD students have the chance to join an exclusive workshop with visiting designer Tré Seals! This opportunity is available to any interested student looking to engage with the visiting designer in a hands-on exploration into the boundless possibilities of type in any creative practice. How to draw type, how to look at type, and how type works. This hands-on workshop will allow you to explore your culture and artistic voice through type. This workshop will take place in person on RMCAD’s campus. Students must be present for the entire time of the workshop in order to participate.
Please contact Gretchen Marie Schaefer at gmschaefer@rmcad.edu with any questions.
Student-Led Lunch with Tré Seals
Wednesday, March 15, 2023
11:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. MST
Triboro 116
Lunch will be provided.
Join us for a casual conversation and lunch with visiting designer, Tré Seals! Students will lead this conversation by developing and asking Tré questions about his work and career. Guided by student voices, this event will generate valuable professional advice for all students from this accomplished and innovative contemporary designer.
Recommendation List
- The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
- Dream In Color by Tré Seals
- Strikethrough by Silas Munro
- SPIKE by Spike Lee
- JIMI by Janie Hendrix and John McDermott
- “UMI Says” by Mos Def
- “Stranger Than Fiction” by Moses Boyd
- A Seat at the Table by Solange
- “BomBom” by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
- Jazz Selections: Music From and Inspired by Soul by Jon Batiste
- A Beautiful Revolution Pt. 1 & Pt. 2 by Common
- “Alabama” by John Coltrane
- Brown Noise
- Works of Paul Peter Piech
- Works of Sister Corita Kent
- Works of Berthold Wolpe
- Works of Adé Hogue
- Works of Eso Tolson
- Works of Simone Wilder
- Works of Hank Willis Thomas
- Works of Jon Contino
- Fashion by Kerby Jean Raymond
- Works of Virgil Abloh
Additional Resources
Vocal Type
Articles about Tré Seals
*All images courtesy of Tré Seals.
