Join AIGA NY for an evening conversation with creative director, Michelle Willems as she shares how art, music, entertainment, and education have shaped her path. Diving into that question “how do we become the kind of artist, designer, or creative professional we aspire to be?" Willems will reflect on key experiences that have shaped both her career and character, offering insight into what it truly means to build a creative life on your own terms. 

Michelle Willems

Michelle is a visual storyteller and a creative discoverer. A gifted, experienced, innovative and award-winning art and creative director- music culture has been her constant muse, especially hip hop. Over her distinguished career of three decades, Willems has significantly contributed to the creative iconography that defined the genre that defined the generation – a rare distinction for a woman in the music, design and media industries. She has been a creative leader at leading culture brands – Sony, MTV, Tommy Boy, Honey Magazine, BET, NYU and most recently creative director in the Brand and Marketing studio at Twitter. Willems has received awards from the Broadcast Design Association, Print, the Young Guns Show at Art Directors Club and AIGA.

Her superpower however, is not only having an eye for new talent, but also the vision, courage and expertise to develop, advocate for and hire that talent. As a result of her bold work and advocacy for other creatives, Willems has made the global design industry more diverse, colorful and dope. A native New Yorker, she is the mother of Nova, a devotee of dj’ing and dancing and exploring art in waffle making and the wild world.