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Moraine Park Technical College Blog - Imagine What's Next
Graphics and Design

A Passion for Eco-Art

Grant Maniér is many things: a talented artist, passionate advocate, creative illustrator, poised public speaker, dedicated student and great friend.

He also lives with autism.

“I have autism, but I do not let it define me,” Maniér said. “I define my autism through my talents and my skills.”

Maniér is 26 and a first-year student in Moraine Park’s Graphic Communications program.

In 2021, he moved to Fond du Lac from Houston, TX, after accepting a job at the Treffert Center as a behavioral treatment technician and enrolling at Moraine Park. He and his mom, Julie Coy, were eager to take on this new adventure.

“Through Covid, the art world was shut down,” Maniér said. “I used to travel the country raising awareness, acceptance and promoting inclusion for people with disabilities. I would meet hundreds of people at events and take pictures with my art. After that stopped, we got an exciting opportunity to move, and we took it.”

Unlike traditional artists, Maniér constructs ecological, environmentally friendly art as an ‘eco-artist’.

“An eco-artist is not a normal artist,” Maniér said. “Being an eco-artist is taking recycled materials like paper from magazines, discarded puzzles, old calendars and wallpaper, and turning them into something beautiful. If it is recyclable, I can create eco-art out of it.”

Eco-friendly projects can also be made using materials such as old metal or scrap wood. Maniér gets his materials through direct donations, at thrift stores, and garage sales. Some of his pieces include an owl made from old movie posters, a dragon made with contact lens cases, dolphins made from applesauce lids and a giraffe made with jigsaw pieces named Jigsaw Grant.

Jigsaw Grant started out as one of Maniér’s many animal projects, but for this piece he decided to do something different. Instead of regular giraffe spots, he made the spots look like jigsaw pieces. His mom loved it so much that she coined it, Jigsaw Grant, after her son.

When people asked about Jigsaw Grant and Maniér’s other art pieces, Coy made-up stories about who the characters were and where they came from. Eventually, she started writing them down, and that is how Grant the Jigsaw Giraffe children’s book series was born.

There are five books in the collection, with more coming soon. Some of the topics include dyslexia, the autism spectrum, childhood cancer and the pandemic.

“I have come to know a lot of people and make many friends who have different challenges or disabilities,” Maniér said. “We figured if we talked about them in a children’s book format, we could help teach people from an early age about disabilities and how they can support people with differences.”

When it comes to sharing the work of writing and illustrating the books, Maniér describes it as an 80-20 percent split. His mom is the author, and he is the illustrator, but they both have their own opinions and give each other feedback as they create.

Maniér and Coy hope to publish more books and eventually bring their characters to life through animation.

When asked about his mantra, “’Autism does not define me, I define autism,’” Maniér said, “It’s basically asking the question: how do I live with it? It is something I cannot change. It is like having black hair. I don’t know what it is like to not have black hair, so I maintain it and keep it healthy, which is a lot like how I view my autism.”

Read more stories like Grant’s in our Spring 2022 NEXT Magazine.

June 20, 2022by Emilie Wilson
Business, College Communications, Graphics and Design, IT & Web

Moraine Park’s Portfolio Night Goes Virtual

portfolio

Graduating students from Moraine Park Technical College’s Graphic Communications, Interactive Media Design, IT – Software Developer, and Web Development & Design and Mobile Applications Developer programs will be showcasing their talents at the College’s Portfolio Showcase on Wednesday, May 12, at 6 p.m. The event will be completely online.

portfolio night event

The Portfolio Showcase is an annual event that highlights the work these students have completed in their respective programs while at Moraine Park. The event allows them to share their projects with prospective employers, the local community and Moraine Park students and staff.

  • portfolio night

For more information on Portfolio Night event, visit morainepark.edu/portfolio-showcase.

May 4, 2021by Kristina Haensgen
Community Engagement, Graphics and Design

High School Art Contest Winners!

Congrats to the participants and winners of the High School Art Contest, hosted by Moraine Park Technical College’s Graphics program.

Drawing

  • FIRST PLACE Riley Steckert- “In Thought”- Fond du Lac High School
 "In Thought"
“In Thought”
  • SECOND Haleh F- “Waiting”- Berlin High School
  • THIRD Olivia Holland- “Poor Sole”- Waupun High School
  • FOURTH Abbey Freimark- “Lacoste”- Berlin High School
  • FIFTHOlivia Holland- “Thoughtful Thinking”- Waupun High School
  • “Waiting”
  • “Poor Sole”
  • “Lacoste”
  • “Thoughtful Thinking”

Digital Photo

  • FIRST Haley Brenner- “Woolly Hair Day”- Campbellsport High School
Woolly Hair Day
“Woolly Hair Day”
  • SECONDNatalie Jens- “Graceful”- Beaver Dam High School
  • THIRDHailey Brenner- “Warmth in Winter”- Campbellsport High School
  • FOURTHBrianna Livingston- “Aura”- Beaver Dam High School
  • FIFTHAndrew Schoenwetter- “Finding Pattern”- Beaver Dam High School
  • butterfly
    “Graceful”
  • Find a pattern
    “Find a Pattern”
  • Aura
    “Aura”
  • WarmthInWinter
    “Warmth In Winter”

Digital Illustration Category

  • FIRST PLACE Andrea Langholff – “Starfish”- Fond du Lac High School
Starfish
“Starfish”
  • SECOND Andrea Langholff- “He’s Got A Gun”- Fond du Lac High School
  • THIRD Katie Rozmarynoski- “Space Granny”- Berlin High School
  • FOURTH Cassidy Schneider- “Happy Boy”- New Holstein High School
  • FIFTH Briana Stewart- “Book Fantastic”- Beaver Dam High School
  • "He's Got a Gun"
    “He’s Got a Gun”
  • Space Granny
    “Space Granny”
  • HappyBoy
    “Happy Boy”
  • Book Fantastic
    “Book Fantastic”

Painting Category

FIRST PLACE Abbey Freimark “Hidden Within Nature”- Berlin High School

“Hidden Within Nature”
  • SECOND Amie Rabadan- “Ripple”- Horace Mann High School
  • THIRD Willow Roseneau- “Everything Is Blue”- Fond du Lac High School
  • FOURTH Amie Rabadan- “Piggy”- Horace Mann High School
  • FIFTH (tie) Savannah Killian- “Jack”- Random Lake High School
  • FIFTH (tie) Olivia Holland- “Emotions”- Waupun High School
  • "Ripple"
    “Ripple”
  • "Everything Is Blue"
    “Everything Is Blue”
  • "Piggy"
    “Piggy”
  • "Jack"
    “Jack”
  • "Emotions"
    “Emotions”

Posters/Publications Category

  • FIRST PLACE Abbey Freeman- “Soccer Poster”- Berlin High School
"Soccer Poster"
“Soccer Poster”
  • SECOND John Gonzales- “Drip Poster”- Berlin High School
Drip poster
“Drip Poster”

Sculpture Category

  • FIRST PLACE Riley Steckert- “Bubbles”- Fond du Lac High School
“Bubbles”
  • SECOND Tara Lisowe- “Panic”- Fond du Lac High School
  • THIRD Corrin Ewald- “The Glistening Tree”- Berlin High School
  • FOURTH Hailey Brenner- “Purr-fect love”- Campbellsport High School
  • FIFTH Katie Rozmarynoski- “Seaside Salt and Pepper Shakers”- Berlin High School
  • Panic
    “Panic”
  • TheGlisteningTree
    “The Glistening Tree”
  • Purr-fectLove
    “Purr-fect Love”
  • SeasideSaltand Peppershakers
    “Seaside Salt and Pepper shakers”

Traditional Illustration Category

  • FIRST PLACE Katie Rozmarynoski-“Route 54”- Berlin High School   
Route 54
“Route 54”
  • SECOND Kylee Spanbauer- “Studies in Pen” Waupun High School
pen art
“Studies In Pen”

T-shirt Design Category

  • FIRST PLACE Abbey Freimark- “Mirrored Faces”- Berlin High School
“Mirrored Faces”
May 25, 2019by Kristina Haensgen
Graphics and Design

MPTC Portfolio Night

portfolio night

Graduating students from Moraine Park Technical College’s Graphic Communications, Interactive Media Design, and Web Design programs will be showcasing their talents at the College’s Portfolio Showcase on Wednesday, May 15, at the Fond du Lac campus.

This annual event highlights the projects and work these graduating students have completed in their respective programs while at Moraine Park, and it allows them to share their projects with prospective employers, the local community and Moraine Park students and staff. Students from the Fond du Lac and West Bend campuses will have their work on display.

Portfolio Night is free and will be held at Moraine Park’s Fond du Lac campus at 235 N. National Ave. from 4 to 7 p.m. in the cafeteria. For more information, contact Joe Sibilski at (262) 335-5772.

To learn more about all of Moraine Park’s programs, visit morainepark.edu/programs.

  • Portfolio Night
  • Portfolio Night
  • Portfolio Night
  • Portfolio Night
  • Portfolio Night
April 18, 2019by Kristina Haensgen
Community Engagement, IT & Web

PHOTOS: Girls Make I.T. Happen 2017

Girl assembles PC computer at Moraine Park Girls Make IT Happen camp

We’re hosting our first-ever Girls Make I.T. Happen summer camp this week at Moraine Park’s Fond du Lac campus. Girls entering 9th through 12th grade from around the area are taking part of this unique, fun event. Continue reading

June 27, 2017by Andrew Pantzlaff
Business, IT & Web

PHOTOS: A look back at Portfolio Showcase 2017

If you’re envious of artistic talent and creativity, then walking around Moraine Park’s Fond du Lac campus last Wednesday night would have been a difficult adventure for you, for sure.

Graduating students from Moraine Park Technical College’s programs showcased their talents at the College’s Portfolio Showcase.

There were animations, drawings, designs, photos and, well, lots of cool stuff! Continue reading

May 17, 2017by Andrew Pantzlaff
Community Engagement, Graphics and Design

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with the “Wearing of the Blue”?

Graphic Communications students at Moraine Park Technical College learn to effectively use images and color together, as well as the importance of considering culture as it influences a design. One example out of the many great historic examples of the emotional power of color, and how that color is linked to a cultural symbol, is the story of why we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with the color green and shamrock. Continue reading

March 15, 2017by Shawn McAfee
Business, Community Engagement, Graphics and Design

“Making Memories” project preserves family history

Making Memories project worked on by students at Moraine Park

Moraine Park recently took part in the Wisconsin Technical College System’s (WTCS) Student Showcase at the State Capitol, and a neat project done by my graphic communication students was featured at the event.

This project was called “Making Memories.” Continue reading

March 6, 2017by Shawn McAfee
Administration, Graphics and Design

Out with the old (logo), in with the new

Have you ever looked at your closet and realized you need an update? Your clothes aren’t reflecting what you want to represent about yourself anymore. Well, we’re doing the college marketing version of that. We’ve looked at ourselves and realized that the value we have to our stakeholders doesn’t match the image we’re projecting—so we are changing our look. Continue reading

May 20, 2016by Patty Lehn
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