Pittsfield Artist Wins Crane's Design Challenge

John Neiner, an illustrator with Pixel Graphic Design Studio in Pittsfield has been selected as the winner of the second Berkshire Creative Challenge. This year, the Challenge was hosted by Crane & Co. As a result of his submission, John will be creating a new holiday design collection for Crane's 2012 season.


Founded in 2005 by John’s brother, Pixel has been an outlet for their creative skills and imagination. Over the past few years John has transitioned from his background in traditional media into the realm of digital-art. John resides in the Berkshires with his wife Erin and their 3 energetic boys. In addition to art, John also enjoys rock climbing, ventriloquism and a slew of other eclectic pastimes.


Earlier this summer, I had the great pleasure of touring the 13 finalists around Crane's production facilities with Karla Cushman, Crane's Design Manager. Here's a link to photos from the tour.


Our regional NPR station - WAMC in Albany, N.Y., did a really nice piece on the Challenge. You can listen to it here.


“John stood out to everyone on the review committee.  His work was impressive, organized, and imaginative,” said Megan Kuntze, Crane’s Brand Director, “We are looking forward to working with John on future creative assignments.”


In addition to John, six other designers were identified as potential resources for future freelance projects. through the Berkshire Creative Challenge.