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Currently, I'm working in New York City as a Web Projects Manager and Art Director. I'm responsible for Newtek Business Services corporate web properties and over 250 alliance partner business portals.
I’ve been working in the field of communications for many years filling the following roles in design, traditional and internet marketing: Web Designer, Interaction Designer, Print Designer, Animator, Art Director, SEO, Affiliate Marketing, and Analytics. My diverse experience working for government contractors, video production, multimedia, marketing, broadcast, and event companies helps me understand the marketing needs for many industries. I work with high level marketing concepts and create eye-catching, effective visual communication from scratch for products, services and branding. I meet with the Marketing or Communications Director to discuss the vision and concepts for promoting services, products or branding. I excel at being creative, it’s what I’m passionate about and I love getting results for my clients.
I've used all media outlets for my clients. I have developed interactive training for the military using 3D animation and Flash animation. I have designed animation and graphics for broadcast TV, websites, CDs, presentations and industrial videos. I have helped theme interiors for large corporate events, the WWF Restaurant in NYC, Doral Golf Village’s Millennium Celebration, Lager’s Old World Grill, Outback Steakhouse’s Clubhouse Tent, and Bush Gardens Haunted Trail. I designed themed slide show for the annual awards presentation for Outback Steakhouse for 7 years. I’ve lived through small to mid-size company growing pains and mid-size to large company growing pains. All my former employers have provided and still will provide excellent references for me.
Brenda Kato's Bio
Brenda Roberts Kato was born in Jacksonville, Florida. She discovered her artistic talent as a child, winning various art contests as early as the first grade. In high school, she entered the Graphic Design program, where she learned the basics of graphic design, illustration, sign painting, silk-screening, airbrushing, and 3D displays. She won many awards during this time, including first place in the state and second place in the nation for a VICA (Vocational Industrial Clubs of America) display celebrating the Constitution, and first place in Duval County's "Just Say No To Drugs" poster contest. Continental Cablevision eventually turned her poster's idea into a commercial.
After graduation, Brenda entered the Graphic Design program at the Savannah College of Art and Design, but soon discovered computers in her elective classes. After a year and a half at SCAD, she transferred to Ringling School of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida where she studied illustration, painting, photography, animation and art history. Brenda's work was included in the RSAD senior show and their annual publication.
After college, Brenda returned to Jacksonville and helped form an Arts group called City of Expression. Boasting a membership of around 150, this group created opportunities for artists to get community exposure; the group produced monthly art shows in parks, coffee shops, and storefronts, and produced a magazine for the next two years.
In 1992 Brenda taught art at an inner-city high school, but lack of support for the art department led her to seek more challenging work. Brenda joined Logistic Services International. There, she gained experience with several animation packages including WICAT, Animator Pro, and 3D Studio MAX. During this time, Brenda served on the board of the Beaches Fine Arts Guild. She was asked to participate in many art shows, showcasing her series of "Green People" acrylic paintings.
Later, Brenda joined the commercial video and multimedia department team at Orlando's JHT Multimedia. She was soon promoted to Art Director, and worked with such clients as NASA, The Army, ORMC (Orlando Regional Medical Center), and Olive Garden, illustrating storyboards, producing graphics, animation, and interfaces for CD-ROMs and web sites. In 1997, Brenda became the Art Director for a live television talk show for Paxson Communications in Clearwater, Florida. Paxson Communications used her background elements in the overall look and feel for the launch of the entire PAX Network.
Next, Brenda became a full-time freelancer, accepting work from several Tampa production facilities, including Tampa Digital, Island Media, Magic Studios, Edit Suites, and Digital Video Arts. She was soon offered a full time Art Director position with Wizard Studios, a large themed-event company. Brenda was part of a creative team that handled conceptualization, illustration, fabrication, painting, and lighting. She specifically, helped theme the interior of the WWF Restaurant in New York, designed "Country Club" style tents for Outback Steakhouse, created the FedEx/Doral Resort's Millennium Celebration water-screen video, and designed the logo for Lager's Old World Grill.
In 2000, Brenda moved back to Jacksonville to open Digital Chemistry Inc., a Multimedia Design Alliance. She worked on several projects with this alliance of marketing and design professionals. In 2001 she rejoined her friends at Logistic Services International to work on the ASE contract for the Navy. As lead artist she managed a team of artist to create distant learning courses using the latest Flash technology. In 2003 she joined Emergency Debt Relief Inc. as their Art Director and was part of a marketing team providing EDR with excellent marketing materials. She left EDR in March 2004 to join forces with PRO DESIGN LABS a local marketing and web development company. She helped create graphics for www.squeezerklip.com / www.nutrispan.com / www.drjillgordon.com / www.newthoughtstreams.com She began showing her acrylic painting series of contortionist females in several venues in Downtown Jacksonville's First Wednesday's Art Walk and was the featured artist at the Karpeles Manuscript Museum for tne month of October, 2004.
In November 2004, she became Art Director for SkyeTec Environmental Building Solutions and has helped them transition from a small mom-n-pop company to a thriving mid-size indoor environmental solutions provider. She shows her paintings in several bars in Jacksonville, Florida and New York, NY. She was one of 12 Jacksonville artist selected to show at Art After Dark, April 21st, 2006 at The Florida Theatre. This show is a annual charity event for the theatre.
She moved north to work in Manhatten for Newtek Business Services as a web projects manager in August of 2007. Her most recent political art show called "I Love Big Brother" hung in October 2008 at Teneleven Tavern on the lower east side, NYC. In March of 2009, she joined Art-Trope, a new arts group in NYC and will be showing her new work this summer.
