US

Competition Direction and Design Development
MICHELLE ZATTA is an independent industrial designer living in Brooklyn, specializing in furniture, toy, and product design. Her work is imbued with a sense of whimsy and humor, functionality, and has an analytic edge. She holds a BFA in Industrial Design from the Pratt Institute. She has worked with the artists Jane Hammond and Janet Zweig, and has designed products for the Brooklyn Children's Museum and Planet Product Toys, among others. Her work has also appeared in the book Bright Minds, Beautiful Ideas: Parallel Thoughts in Different Times. Michelle is a member of the Gowanus Studio Space collective, has an unnatural love of Hello Kitty, and has been known to carry pot-roasts in her purse—to hardcore shows.
www.mlzatta.com


Competition Direction and Writing
NADIA SIDDIQUI is decidedly not a designer—but has excellent taste and an apparent and recently discovered penchant for organizing competitions. Prior to being subsumed by gelatin, she had keen interest in a wide-range of fields and has worked in laboratory neuroscience, community-based substance abuse treatment, and currently, human rights and accountability at the International Center for Transitional Justice. She is tougher than she seems and has on occasion been compared to a Muppet.


Competition Co-organization and Flyer Design/Illustration
SARA ANTOINETTE MARTIN is an artist/illustrator based in Brooklyn, NY. Originally from eastern Long Island, she graduated from the Pratt Institute in 2005 with a degree in Illustration. Sara makes toys, comics, and picks up freelance illustration work. Sara has shown in galleries all over the country, including the Jonathan LeVine Gallery. Her work has also been featured is in multiple publications, such as Kidrobot's "I Am Plastic." She recently released her first vinyl toy with Kidrobot, El Chupacabra, and is currently a member of the Gowanus Studio Space.
www.sara-land.net
www.sara-land.blogspot.com


Workshop Co-organization and Facilitation
BENJAMIN COHEN is a designer and artist, and the director of The Gowanus Studio Space. Ben sometimes makes boats out of trash and rows them on the Gowanus Canal.


Website Design and Construction
SYMON CHOW has been a shutterbug since he was a small child, when his father first introduced him to a Nikon F2 (which Symon still uses to this day). The natural course of action for him was to study photography in college, which he did at Parsons School of Design, in New York City. As a "jack of all trades," Symon has dabbled in film production, stop-motion animation, visual and make-up effects for film, jewelry design, and cooking. He has also made his living as a graphic designer. Symon's work can be seen on book covers, CDs, magazines, and the walls and mantles of friends and family. He was raised and currently resides in New York City.
www.symonchow.com


Photography
BRYCE WARD was introduced to photography in 1994. Bryce became first assistant to a still life photographer in 1999 where he acquired technical experience with lighting, film stock attributes, and digital media. In 2001, he continued exploring digital media and imaging while working as first assistant for fashion and portrait photographers. Since then he has freelanced for many different types of photographers and production teams, working in architecture, fashion, beauty, and portraiture. Over the past ten years Bryce’s work has been featured in numerous publications and for commercial clients in the U.S. and abroad.
www.bryceward.com