Director of Marketing & Communications | Director of Brand & Creative Strategy | HEAD OF DIGITAL INNOVATION

Building a brand behind seattle’s artist

Marketing Manager, Gage Academy of Art | Enrollment, Brand & Digital Strategy
2024 to Present

 

Gage is where Seattle learns to make art. I lead the marketing that keeps it growing: driving enrollment across four programs, setting the institution’s communications strategy, and modernizing how the organization works through AI and digital. My focus is simple. Let the artists be the brand, and build the systems that bring their story to more people.

 

Impact

  • 123% audience growth

  • Org-wide AI adoption

  • 4 programs led to market

  • 3-person team

REBRANDING + MARKETING

Gage Summer Camp


Summer Camp is one of Gage’s biggest enrollment drivers, but it was marketed like every other camp: stock imagery, generic messaging, nothing a kid would remember. I commissioned Lara Kaminoff, a working artist, to create an original cast of cat characters, then built an early-registration campaign around them across Gage’s channels and the outlets parents already trust. Within six weeks of launch, camp reached 85% capacity, which reduced our need for paid spend for the rest of the season.

Concept - Cats are curious, independent, and a little mischievous, which is how kids approach making art. The characters gave young audiences someone to connect with before they ever walked into a studio.

GTM

We went to market late December with a limited-time discount, so families had a reason to commit before summer plans set in. The campaign reached parents in two ways:

  • Owned channels: email, social, the website, and print

  • Trusted outlets: PeachJar, ParentMap, and summer camp directories

The same characters showed up at every touchpoint, so families recognized Gage wherever they saw it.

Front-loading demand meant camp filled early, so we didn’t need to keep spending to chase registrations late in the season.

Why It Worked

It proved our promise. Campers learn from working artists, and the brand was made by one. Urgency did the heavy lifting. The early discount converted interest before the competition started their pushes. The channels did the reach. Trusted parent outlets carried the message, so we relied less on paid media. Gage owns the asset. The characters can return every year without new creative spend.