Tim Zerkel, sign painter at Trader Joe’s
TCG program: March 12, 2016
Tim Zerkel
Have you noticed the signs at Trader Joe’s? They’re engaging, colorful and creative! And they’re great for selling stuff! At the March 12 meeting, we’ll learn how Tim Zerkel and his fellow Trader Joe’s staff members create the bright and engaging signs that customers find so captivating.
Tim will bring us our own version of the art materials that he modifies for a brilliant look and flexible application. He will demonstrate both markers and brushes, and we will each use markers to create our own sign. He’ll talk about how he preps boards and will bring each of us a reusable, primed 12 x 18 board, along with markers to share.
WHAT TO BRING:
– a small rinse bucket
– white or colored chalk
– some paper towels
– Windex (shareable)
– a ruler or straight-edge
– For board: please bring $5 to purchase your 12 x 18 sign board. They can be cleaned and reused.
– For markers: Tim will bring 30 white and 30 colored markers, with the idea that each table can share several markers. After the meeting, the markers will be available for $3 each and any extra boards will be available for $5 each.
Tim Zerkel was born in Baltimore in 1960. He studied Fine Art at Maryland Institute, College of Art (BFA 1986), Art Education at University of North Carolina Greensboro (BFA 2000) and Museum Studies at the University of the Arts (MFA 2006.) He has lived in Apex and worked at Trader Joe’s in Cary since 2008.
Asked for a random, colorful tidbit, such as what he does in his spare time, Tim responded, “In my spare time, I am not quite postmodern, yet I occur after modernity.” Tim once taught kindergarten, so whether modern or post-modern, he should fit right in with the TCG ethos.