Zoe Minikes
Originally from the Bay Area, Zoe Minikes received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from California College of the Arts. She is a designer and art director based in Southwest Detroit. She believes in people, and likes to dance. She works with nonprofits (including Epicenter), NGOs, local businesses, educational institutions, arts organizations, cities, corporations, and individuals.
"We’re tired of hearing the conductors on Amtrak comment that Green River is a ghost town. We want passengers to see some indication that Green River is growing and has a lot to offer." This is one of the first things Jack Forinash and Maria Sykes said to me upon arriving by train to Green River, Utah. In response, I designed a message to be hand-painted on the wall of Epicenter that faces the Amtrak train platform. The tracks and platform sit just 389 feet south of Epicenter. Epicenter's local friend and experienced sign painter Alonso climbed up onto scaffolding to add a new layer onto the existing palimpsest. This mural was made possible through a grant from the Governor’s Office of Economic Development.
Zoe was one of the first Frontier Fellows to visit Green River. She stayed for a whirlwind three weeks. During that time, she created the Epicenter's brand, identity, and designed environmental graphics for the beautiful Epicenter building. She found and commissioned a local artist to hand-paint the signage on the South wall of the building. The message on the wall, "You Are Here," is visible from the train just a few hundred yards away. In addition to brand collateral, she helped write organizational workflows and also organized a talent show for staff members and visiting NCCC members.
Zoe continues to work with Epicenter as an adjunct designer, providing visual design for the organization's website and organizing and executing a fundraiser for Casa Mendoza (the first Habitat for Humanity House in Green River, Utah), designed/built by Epicenter).
Epicenter logo and business cards, 2011
