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Branding • Illustration • Album Art • Character Design • Original Custom work • Concept Ideation • Consulting Hi! I’m Maria Christina De La Cruz, an interdisciplinary artist and certified visual designer with a B.A. in Art Practice from UC Berkeley and certifications in Graphic Design and Digital Art & Animation. I help individuals, musicians, authors, and brands turn ideas into intentional, visually compelling artwork, whether that’s a logo, album cover, illustrated characters, or narrative-driven visuals. My strength lies in blending traditional art sensibility with clean, modern digital execution. I’m especially well-suited for projects that need: - Thoughtful visual storytelling - A warm, human aesthetic - Illustration or design that feels meaningful, expressive, and well-crafted I work collaboratively, intentionally, communicate clearly, and deliver efficiently, keeping clients updated throughout the process and making sure the final result truly reflects their vision. ✨ Services & Skills Illustration & Visual Storytelling (digital & traditional) Branding & Graphic Design (logos, covers, marketing visuals) Album & Book Cover Art Character Design & Concept Art Book Illustration & Author Projects 🛠 Tools Adobe Creative Suite · Adobe Illustrator · Photoshop · Fresco · Premiere Pro · Procreate · Acrylic, oil & watercolor (traditional media) Every project is thoughtfully crafted with a strong emphasis on originality, storytelling and artistic quality. If you’re looking for a creative partner who brings both artistry and professionalism to the table, I’d love to collaborate.

🎨 Fine artist turned brand storyteller! As a visual artist, fine art photographer, and content creator, I’m deeply passionate about contemporary art, storytelling, and the power of visuals to spark emotion. My journey began in the art world, with a Master of Fine Arts and over 20 international photography exhibitions, exploring creativity at its most expressive level. A few years ago, I brought that artistic vision into the corporate space. Today, as Senior Social Media Strategist & Visual Artist at IFF, I lead the creative strategy for global social channels, shaping campaigns, visuals, and brand narratives that inspire audiences worldwide. For me, the magic happens where fine art meets brand storytelling—transforming complex ideas into captivating visuals that connect with people. I’d love to connect, collaborate, and keep crafting meaningful narratives and beautiful content together!

I've spent over twenty years finding the artist nobody else has found yet, and the words an organization actually means to say. I work in two connected lanes: curating art programs for physical spaces and building brand and cultural strategy for organizations that want their values reflected in what they do. Art curation & advisory for spaces. At Big Medium, I built and ran partnership art programs for Line Hotel and Tito's Handmade Vodka, sourcing artists, designing proposals, and managing the full presentation from substrate and framing to installation logistics. At The Projecto, the independent gallery I founded and ran for eight years, I sourced, presented, and sold work by U.S., Mexican, and Chilean artists, created programming for Soho House, and served as a juror and public art panelist for institutions from ArtPrize to the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. If you're an interior designer, architect, developer, or hospitality group that needs a bespoke art program sourced, proposed, and presented as a finished vision, not a stock-image afterthought, this is where I work. Brand & cultural strategy. I advise organizations on the gap between what they want to do and what their audience actually needs: narrative and voice work, culture and experience reviews, and building practices that are inclusive by design rather than by checkbox. I was sole project manager for the Texas Biennial (81 artists, 13 venues, 18+ public programs) and have advised the City of Austin on multiple public art initiatives. I consult and design strategy. I don't execute programming on the ground, so you get an outside eye that's rigorous without competing for the same seat as your team. Bilingual (English/Spanish), based in Austin, and used to running multiple concurrent projects at speed without dropping the details that make a program credible.

I have a background in 2D art, which has cultivated my eye for visual design. I enjoy drawing portraits, organic modeling, digital illustrations, and large canvas painting. I also historically work in the newsroom as a producer, journalist, and digital manager, which has caused me a love of creativity and a hunger for information. I am open to research and writing opportunities on a freelance basis due to my extensive background in journalism experience.

I'm a multidisciplinary creative director and designer specializing in brand identity, creative direction, and visual storytelling for fashion, lifestyle, and consumer brands. My work spans brand identity development, editorial and product photography, photo editing, moodboard and pre-production direction, social content, and graphic design across digital and print channels. I bring a strong eye for aesthetics, a deep understanding of how visual decisions shape brand perception, and the ability to take a project from concept through polished final deliverable. I'm also the founder of Vagabond Art, an independent curatorial platform that has produced over 20 large-scale immersive events across the United States, where I manage all creative direction, visual identity, and production end-to-end. Past clients include fashion brands, wellness companies, galleries, and institutional clients. I work cleanly, communicate clearly, and deliver on time.

Art dealer, curator, grant writer, and cultural strategist with 15+ years of experience helping artists, nonprofits, and cultural organizations secure funding, strengthen institutional positioning, and expand collector visibility. I secured a $300,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation for a client and have facilitated six-figure exhibition sales within a single month. My work spans grant writing, donor communications, curatorial strategy, artist positioning, and luxury-facing visual presentation. I also served as the art consultant for the May 2026 Architectural Digest cover story featuring Mark Grattan and have an upcoming talk at Seattle Art Museum.