UConn’s Digital Media & Design Department presents “The Diverse Perspectives in Digital Media & Design 2024 Speaker Series”
Gaining Focus to Overcome Invisible Differences
Steve Jennings, animator
Wednesday, February 28, 2024, 5:30 PM EST
via YouTube Live
Co-hosted by DMD professor Clarissa Ceglio and Digital Media and Design undergrads Amir Sumani, Jamaile Hall, and Bryan Labady
Steve Jennings explores his personal journey as a neurodivergent artist working in the entertainment industry and his mission to increase artistic opportunities for underrepresented creatives in animation.
About the Speaker: With 30 years of entertainment experience, Steve Jennings has navigated the complexities of the industry with a unique perspective shaped by his journey as a neurodivergent individual. Jennings gained experience at companies like Digital Domain, Sony Pictures Imageworks, and Cartoon Network. Through his former studio Grasshorse, his passion for creating animation aligned with creating affordable and accessible education for those who are neurodivergent and/or from rural and lower-income communities. Rejecting simplistic dichotomies, Jennings embraces the spectrum of human experience and aims to cultivate compassion through his art. He hopes his work not only entertains but also serves as a beacon of healing and understanding for those navigating their own paths toward wholeness.
LEARN MORE AND REGISTER: https://dmd.uconn.edu/major/diverse-perspectives/diverse-perspectives-steve-jennings/
About the Diverse Perspectives in Digital Media & Design 2024 Speaker Series:
To paraphrase James Baldwin, nothing can be changed until it is faced. This is certainly true of the inequities that have historically shaped digital media content, fields, and careers. Join UConn’s Digital Media & Design department in welcoming industry professionals, artists, and media scholars from the film, design, cultural, game, and other sectors to discuss how issues of equity manifest in their work, creative processes, and professions, allowing us to reflect on how our own practice can support greater equity, diversity, and inclusion.
For more information, contact: Meredith Friedman, DMD at meredith.friedman@uconn.edu