Biography/Statement
Sarah Tomasso is a designer and illustrator with a background in marketing from Providence, Rhode Island. Although perceivably categorized by her degrees, Sarah’s creative endeavours and interests are vast. From printmaking to metalworking, she believes that design becomes stronger when it incoporates other mediums and techniques. She has worked for Johnson & Wales as an illustrator for the 2010 Culinary Fundamentals textbook. She also currently works in a print shop making large format signs and installations for Colonial Beverage of North Dartmouth. Tomasso’s life and art is full of experiences, travel, exploration, and balance. The never-ending pursuit of provoking creativity and beauty drives Tomasso through a life-long path of learning and curiosity.
Thesis Statement
Thuro is a skate shop in Boston owned by Gabe Holm, a former UMD student and friend of mine. We had met over the summer, when his shop first opened. He suggested that I use Thuro as the subject of my thesis. I thought of how exciting and different a project like this could be – a chance to create for an established skate shop while getting to help out a friend, experience a new place, and meet new people. My work for Thuro focuses on solidifying branding, making useful and enticing pieces for marketing, as well as standard company collateral such as business cards and shopping bags.
But this is more than just a branding project. It’s the exploration of a culture. It’s fun, funky, contemporary design. It is the fusion of geometric and organic; vectors and spray paint. It is the understanding of the youth, and the disassembly of cookie-cutter design. It is hand drawn imagery and type blending with formal design principles and treatments. These designs were made not just to promote Thuro, but to embody Thuro’s attitude of East coast shred and the people who live for it.
