Neil Ward

Assistant Professor of Graphic Design
Office Location: 281 Fine Arts Center
515-271-3837
neil.ward@drake.edu

Neil received a B.F.A. in graphic design from Sage College of Albany in 2007 and his Masters of Fine Arts degree with a concentration in graphic design from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 2013. Before coming to Drake, he taught new media, typography, and web design at The University of Tennessee - Knoxville (2010-13), Illinois State University (2013-14), and Heartland Community College (2014).

He has many interests in teaching and learning and treats his classroom as a laboratory for learning. Neil has recently presented work from his class on gaming and play at the 2013 AIGA Head Hand Heart Conference in Minneapolis Minnesota, the 2013 GLS 9.0 conference in Madison Wisconsin, and the 2014 CTLT Symposium at Illinois State University.

Neil has been principle of Neil O. Ward Graphic Design, since 2006, and has worked as a staff designer in marketing agencies pursuing a wide range of design projects. His professional experience includes print, publication, identity, and web design. Neil has had the opportunity to build client relationships with individual, small, and medium sized businesses in New York and Tennessee.

His studio work is a commentary on the daily actions and choices of contemporary society. Observing and analyzing public interactions, Neil finds himself fascinated with the actions and reactions of individuals. These brief moments in time inspire him to create artwork that merges traditional graphic design practice with participatory and performance art. These public works provide the understanding and realization of ones interconnectedness to society as a whole.