Michelle Castellanos

Hello! I’m a graphic designer from North Carolina now based in New York City. I recently graduated from Parsons School of Design, where I majored in Communication Design and Printmaking. I enjoy exploring the intersection between digital design and printed media in my work. I also focus on exploring themes of identity and culture,

Client

Cooper Hewitt Design Musuem

Year

2024
Team

Beatriz Lozano, Design Director
Michelle Castellanos, Designer
Mateo Perez, Designer

Comida, Conversacion, y Comunidad

In East Jordan, a small town in Michigan, a group of students from East Jordan Middle/High School led an initiative aimed at creating meaningful connections with the growing Latino and Spanish-speaking community. Comida, Conversación, y Comunidad is an installation part of Cooper sharing the story of a rural Michigan community coming together through student-led culinary and language exchanges, based on the work of Angela Barrera’s high school students.

Our design drew from the students’ research, incorporating sticky notes and produce stickers inspired by TC Latino Grocery, a neighborhood staple where they gathered ingredients to cook together. From our early meetings, we made a conscious choice for the exhibition to be fully bilingual, with Spanish and English presented side by side, equal in hierarchy.