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Home > Change Lab: Conversations on Transformation and Creativity > 21 Ari Montanez on Realizing his NBA Dreams through Design
Podcast: Change Lab: Conversations on Transformation and Creativity
Episode:

21 Ari Montanez on Realizing his NBA Dreams through Design
Category: Arts and Design
Duration: 00:39:35
Publish Date: 2019-02-20 00:11:27
Description:

Fall 2018 Product Design graduate Ari Montanez spent much of his young life equipping himself with the skills and stamina necessary to succeed in a highly competitive arena – ideally one called Madison Square Garden or Staples Center. Indeed, this is a man who wanted to follow his hero, LeBron James, straight into the NBA.

But when it became apparent his hoop dreams might be slightly out of reach, Ari pivoted, with the agility of a gifted point guard, to pursue a parallel career as an athletic shoe designer. His goal was still to land on the basketball court in spirit, if not body, through his performance-enhancing footwear designs.  

Ari diligently researched his new chosen profession and discovered, under the mentorship of footwear design legend D’Wayne Edwards, that ArtCenter offered the best training ground for him to channel his parallel passions for basketball, sneaker culture and drawing into a coveted gig as a professional shoe designer. Ari’s determination and dedication paid off. Several months before he graduated, Ari accepted a job offer from No.One, a start-up sneaker company specializing in high-end handmade shoes.  

Each season, we dedicate one episode to capturing a student or recent graduate, just as they’re poised to leave ArtCenter and embark on their creative travels. Ari’s journey from to dedicated athlete to hands-on maker seemed like the perfect narrative to kick off the fourth season of Change Lab.  

In this episode, which includes a visit to No.One’s Venice studio, Ari and Lorne discussed the spark that ignited his interest in design, his insights into the booming sneaker subculture and how his facility for casual human connection animates and adds to the special sauce of his design process. In combination, these two experiences yielded a visceral portrait of the exhilaration and exploration and uncertainty fueling a nascent artist or designer’s creative journey.  

 

Learn more about the artists, designers and brands mentioned in this episode:   

https://www.arimontanez.com/

https://no-one.la/

https://pensole.com/dwayne-edwards/

https://solecollector.com/news/2018/09/nike-lebron-16-jason-petrie

 

Learn more about ArtCenter and its programs at www.artcenter.edu
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