Ian Myers '92
Written in October 2008
Meet Ian Myers ’92, the finance manager for the Metro Nashville Arts Commission. A very logical, numbers guy, Ian balances the budget, manages purchasing for the department, and manages the information resources on the Commission’s website. Now meet Ian Myers, the creative-minded graphic designer who develops printed pieces for the Commission and also does freelance graphic design. The truth is: Ian has never been able to decide whether he was a “left-brain” person or a “right-brain” person. His job at the Commission lets him be both. He notes, “Quite often I’ll be right in the middle of the budget and I’ll be asked to handle several web-related issues or design something real quick.”
Although it can be challenging to switch back and forth, Ian is glad to be using both sides of his brain in the service of something he believes in. He says, “What I find most rewarding is that we’re promoting arts through Nashville. It’s something I’ve always felt really passionately about.”
Back when he was a student at Harding, Ian was the kind of kid who was always drawing in class--sometimes when he shouldn’t have been. (He notes, “I always knew I would do something art-related.”) Nevertheless, he left Harding well prepared for Father Ryan High School, where he was a Dean’s List and Honor Roll student. After that, Ian enrolled at the University of Memphis but found he couldn’t settle on a major. Returning to Nashville, he started working at Vanderbilt as the building manager for the student center. He also began attending TSU, where he earned a B.S. in interdisciplinary studies (with a focus in English and art).
Although he entertained thoughts of becoming an art teacher, he instead began working as a purchasing analyst for Hospital Corporation of America by day, and freelancing as a graphic designer by night. Collaborating on a Nashville Opera poster with his father, an illustrator, he won an American Advertising Federation ADDY Award in 2005.
In May of 2007, he took his current position at the Commission. Ian, who was married this past May, has recently found another outlet for his talents: He’s helping wife Laura, an entrepreneur, launch a Japanese goods and anime store in Nashville called Happy Japan. As Ian jokes, “I like to be multifaceted!”
Although it can be challenging to switch back and forth, Ian is glad to be using both sides of his brain in the service of something he believes in. He says, “What I find most rewarding is that we’re promoting arts through Nashville. It’s something I’ve always felt really passionately about.”
Back when he was a student at Harding, Ian was the kind of kid who was always drawing in class--sometimes when he shouldn’t have been. (He notes, “I always knew I would do something art-related.”) Nevertheless, he left Harding well prepared for Father Ryan High School, where he was a Dean’s List and Honor Roll student. After that, Ian enrolled at the University of Memphis but found he couldn’t settle on a major. Returning to Nashville, he started working at Vanderbilt as the building manager for the student center. He also began attending TSU, where he earned a B.S. in interdisciplinary studies (with a focus in English and art).
Although he entertained thoughts of becoming an art teacher, he instead began working as a purchasing analyst for Hospital Corporation of America by day, and freelancing as a graphic designer by night. Collaborating on a Nashville Opera poster with his father, an illustrator, he won an American Advertising Federation ADDY Award in 2005.
In May of 2007, he took his current position at the Commission. Ian, who was married this past May, has recently found another outlet for his talents: He’s helping wife Laura, an entrepreneur, launch a Japanese goods and anime store in Nashville called Happy Japan. As Ian jokes, “I like to be multifaceted!”
Inspiring The Mind • Nurturing The Spirit