Interview with Amanda Figueroa
Amanda Figueroa is a web and graphic designer, doctoral candidate, artist, and co-founder of Brown Art Ink (BAI). Through her work as a Resource Manager for BAI, Amanda's belief that art is a tool to fight economic injustice is central to her work in leading fundraising and other initiatives to unlock institutional resources for artists. She lives in Roxbury with her pup Ari, and is completing her Ph.D. at Harvard University.
Here at ABC, we've been working with Amanda to completely redesign our website, which we're so excited to launch! Follow us on Instagram and Twitter, and sign up for our newsletter to know exactly when the new site will go live. You can also check out Amanda's design portfolio here.
NICOLE: How long have you been doing website design? What got you so interested in web and graphic design in the first place?
AMANDA: I’ve been doing web design on one level or another for 15 years, since the days of NeoPets fansites! What I love about design is that it’s a mix of creativity and practicality -- how do you make sure people can access the information they need, in a beautiful and engaging way?
NICOLE: You’re one of the founders/organizers of Brown Art Ink! What’s your current relationship with art? Anything exciting you’re working on in BAI or on your own time?
What I love about design is that it’s a mix of creativity and practicality -- how do you make sure people can access the information they need, in a beautiful and engaging way?
AMANDA: At Brown Art Ink we are working on an oral history project that documents the career trajectories of women of color artists and culture workers. Working to support artists is my long-term passion, but this archival project is a whole new way for me of doing that.
NICOLE: As part of Brown Art Ink, you’ve been working with ABC for a bit as a fiscal sponsee. What got you excited about working on this project in particular?
AMANDA: I was so happy to design the new ABC site after being a fiscal sponsee. I felt like I knew exactly what kind of information I would need as someone interested in working with ABC, and I had a good sense of the organization’s personality that I really wanted to shine through in the visual design.
NICOLE: What’s next on the horizon for you? Either design-wise, artistically, professionally, or all of the above!
AMANDA: I just started a new full-time job in public science engagement, and I’m still trying to finish that pesky dissertation to wrap up my Ph.D. -- hopefully next year!
NICOLE: A fun question to close off the interview with, what’s your favorite fall treat!
AMANDA: Pozole is possibly my all-time favorite food, but you have to wait until the weather gets cool so you can really enjoy it. Besides food, it’s always a treat to see my small dog go absolutely nuts for jumping in piles of leaves, it’s the cutest.
This interview has been edited for length or clarity.