Common Bond | Graphic Design & Illustration

“Common Bond” reunites six artists who fused their talent with their professional desires while studying graphic design and illustration at Kutztown University. Several of these artists bonded personally and professionally, creating relationships that link their past educational rigor with their current artistic endeavors.

This small group of artists has gone on to distinguish itself both nationally and internationally by the high-caliber of talent, diligence and hard work they bring to their projects. Several of these artists first rose to prominence working in the design industry in cities like New York City, Boston and Dallas. Today each one of the artists works independently either as a freelance illustrator or runs his or her own design business.

Dave Biedrzycki, a Boston-based artist, is an award winning illustrator of numerous children’s books and author/illustrator of “Ace Lacewing, Bug Detective” and “Santa’s New Jet.” When Dave is not in his studio illustrating he is on the road visiting as many as 70 schools a year sharing his work with school children thereby inspiring them to write and draw.

Kathi Ember is also a children’s book illustrator. She has created illustrations for dozens of books including, most recently. "Mother's Day Surprise" and "Squirrel's New year's Resolution". Her vibrant and imaginative style has many other applications, including greeting cards, packaging, puzzles, wallpaper and magazines. Kathi still lives just outside Kutztown and fills in as an illustration instructor at KU from time to time. She is represented by MB Artists in New York City.

Tom Hallman is an award-winning artist who has created covers for many New York Times bestselling authors, including Toni Morrison, Mary Higgins Clark, Dean Koontz, John Grisham, Danielle Steel and Stephen King. He has created more than 800 mystery, suspense, and romance covers for nearly 250 authors.

Lizzy Hallman is the daughter of Tom Hallman. Lizzy won the Rodger T. Hane Illustration Award for outstanding achievement in illustration at the University of the Arts.  She also received the William H. Ely Award with honorable mention for four illustrations she exhibited in Philadelphia. She is currently doing commission work and beginning her career illustrating greeting cards and children's books.

Peter and Maria Hoey are brother and sister artists who run Coin-Op, an illustration and animation studio. In addition to editorial illustrations, they produce and publish the comic book “Coin-Op,” as well as flip-books and letterpress prints. Peter lives in northern California and Maria lives in New York.

Jim Lebbad is a graphic designer specializing in typographic design and handlettering. He has created award-winning designs for domestic and international clients including Arista Records, Nickelodeon, Campbell Soup Company and Simon & Schuster Publishing, to name a few. Jim created Lebbad Design in 1981 and continues creating work for a variety of clients both large and small.

Bob Shema took a job at an ad agency in Allentown, PA. He later became an award-winning print designer, while working at the Allentown Morning Call and as the Fashion Dallas art director at The Dallas Morning News. In the 1990s, he co-founded an interactive web company, Wavebase 9, and worked as a senior art director at Fossil Inc., before leaving to spend all his time as the head of his own design studio, Design Block Zero in Dallas.

– Robert Jones | Curator