A Q&A with Mitch Goldstein
Mitch Goldstein has spoken at past CU’s and competed in Cropped™, our ongoing (#foreshadowing) live design competition. This year he takes the stage again, this time to anchor a day full of speakers and activities as Create Upstate’s MC. We sat down (virtually) with Mitch to get answers to some burning questions from the world of design.
By now, you’ve become a staple of Create Upstate. But for those who are attending for the first time this year, give us a little background about yourself.
I teach at RIT, where I am an Assistant Professor in the Graphic Design Program. I also work in collaboration with my wife and design partner Anne Jordan, mostly on book cover and publication design. I just started a fine arts practice over the last year, initially working with wet darkroom photography. Lastly, I am the co-host of the “Through Process” podcast, which has been on hiatus as my co-host and I have gotten super busy (but should be making a return.)
Why are you excited for this year’s event?
This is my fourth year straight participating in Create Upstate, and every year I get more excited to see the people I know online and in person, to hear the talks and get ideas, and to experience the sense of community we have in UPSTNY. Create Upstate has always been as much about the attendees as about the speakers, and it’s a great way to spend a couple of days recharging creatively. This year I am hosting, which is (yet again) something I don’t actually know how to do, but I will do anyway — so that should be fun, or publicly embarrassing. Probably both.
Which font is best?
Comic Sans, obviously. Everybody knows that.
Why is Create Upstate important to you? To the community?
Upstate New York represents such a massive area in terms of square miles, it is fantastic to get a bunch of people together from across the land. I have been to lots of conferences, and Create Upstate has always been one of the best — it’s just the right mix between the amount of the attendees, the scope of ideas and talks, and the time to absorb everything. USTNY has such an incredible design community that it is always good to put faces to the names of people we know via the internet, and to get to know some of the other people making great work you have never met before.
Who are you most looking forward to hearing on stage?
I am looking forward to hearing all of the speakers — but to be honest, what I am most looking forward to are all the moments between the speakers when everyone attending interacts with each other. That is really the best part of any good conference, and Create Upstate has always allowed for a lot of time to meet and chat with people.
What is graphic design?
Well, obviously it is thinking and doing using things with methods about topics and ideas. With some fonts, usually. And images sometimes. And there’s an app.
What’s it feel like to be a member of the reigning Cropped team?
It’s a tremendous point of pride and is the very first item on my résumé.
Have you ever been to Ithaca?
Yes! My brother went to Cornell, so I have been there a few times many years ago. I remember lots of gorges.
Where can people find you online?
My studio work and writing is at mitchgoldstein.com, my tweets are at twitter.com/mgoldst, and my current fine art work is at instagram.com/mgoldst.
Finally, should designers?
Definitely sometimes, maybe.
Thanks Mitch!
