Cover artists discuss the impact of art on TOWN, and TOWN on art
From day one, the celebration of art in all forms has always been important to TOWN. For dozens of artists, being chosen to represent our region’s vibrant creative community on the cover of an issue was an important honor, too.
In celebration of 15 years of sharing the unique stories, perspectives, and iconic pieces of artists all across our region, the TOWN team set out to reconnect with twelve past cover artists to ask about their experience. Their thoughtful answers showcase what our editorial team has always known to be true: The impact of the arts—and supporting visionary creative work—is one of the most important things we can do as a city, a society, and a locally rooted publishing group.
We hope you enjoy revisiting some of our favorite TOWN covers and the deeply personal impact they have made, thanks to the support of readers like you.
Meet TOWN cover artists
Alice Ratterree | May 2013, Nov. 2014, July 2015
How did your art end up on the cover of TOWN?
When I met Blair Knobel (then editor-in-chief of TOWN), we started discussing my work as an illustrator and she became interested in profiling a handful of illustrators that live and work in Greenville. Throughout the process of creating the story, we talked about a feature for the cover. At the time, I was creating a personal piece that I felt would be appropriate for the story since the cityscape could easily be modified to become the iconic Greenville skyline. The rest is history and became one of my favorite pieces I’ve worked on!
What did it mean to you to have your artwork on the cover of TOWN?
Each cover I’ve worked on has been a collaborative process with the editor. This is my favorite part of making a work of art: discussion, sharing of ideas, and making something completely custom for a client. Most of my work is designed to tell a story, or provide information to the reader, and I love the challenge that brings to the table for me as an artist. The process of constant re-evaluation, editing, and staying flexible enough to make changes along the way is the fun part of the process. It’s an experience of discovery. By the end, it feels like I’m witnessing [the piece] take on a life of its own, flying out into the world to be seen!
Paul Yanko | July 2014
What was the reception to your TOWN cover?
I received many positive responses from friends, public, clients. It is so important to receive this kind of acknowledgment in print! Everything was done so professionally. It meant everything to me to have my work selected. Totally unexpected and a real affirmation.
Joseph Bradley | July 2013, Nov. 2016, Nov. 2020
What did it mean to you to have your artwork on the cover of TOWN?
I was so proud to be on the cover of TOWN, especially the first time. [There was an event] where they blew up the cover on a huge posterboard—after that was over, they asked me if I wanted it. It hung proudly in my studio for years. Getting a cover definitely made me feel like one of the cool kids.
What was the reception to your TOWN cover?
I definitely got a lot of feedback from friends, family and the community when I’ve been on the cover—in fact, I don’t have any of the artwork left! Private collectors have those, but I’ve had people reach out over the years and ask me to do paintings like that for them. I have all of my TOWN magazines framed in my studio.
Suzanne Vitti | May 2015
Did you make your cover art specifically for TOWN?
Yes! I’m a ceramicist specializing in custom handmade tile, and made the design based on Greenville’s history and culture. I depicted an Art Deco stage with a curtain opening on the City of Greenville with an orchestra, conductor, and a peaceful bird spreading love over our community. The tile process is made by carving my design into multiple layers of plaster in which I make a mold. Then clay is pressed into the mold, bisque-fired, and carefully glazed with various colors using eyedroppers before going into the kiln.
What did it mean to you to have your piece on the cover?
Being on the Arts Issue cover meant the world to me! I absolutely love Greenville and being on the cover not only helped further my visibility and portfolio, but most importantly, made me feel more cemented and grounded as a member of our community.
Elizabeth Seward of Philo Floral | May 2016
How did your work end up on the cover of TOWN?
During the beginning of starting my business, I was approached by the creative team to do a multi-page spread featuring my unique approach to floral design. I was so thankful and honored to have been noticed at such an early stage in my career. From this multi-page spread, we talked about extending the design onto the cover to see if it could work with the art feature. After they heard some of my weird ideas, they fully trusted me to craft an amazing art installation to then be photographed!
What did it mean to you to have your piece on the cover?
Doing this cover is something that will always sit heavy in my body. Shortly after wrapping up on set, as I was driving home, I had gotten a call from my father. During this call, he informed me of his terminal cancer. I will forever remember where I was that day when I found out, and I’m constantly met with the duality of life and death. Art and creation. Building something up and breaking it down. I was honored to have been asked to create such a beautiful piece of art with perishable elements. A reminder that we need to appreciate the life we have in front of us, every moment.
Sunny Mullarkey | Sept. 2017
How did your art end up on the cover of TOWN?
When TOWN editor Blair Knobel asked if I would be interested in creating a cover piece, I was so honored! My studio was located in the Village, at a space called The Station. TOWN would sometimes have photoshoots there. Blair was so kind and complimentary of my printmaking work and asked if I would be interested in creating a linocut specifically for TOWN. Her vision was to have a cover reflecting the city’s unique beauty and character. We met to go over my sketches and chose the one that we both thought best reflected that. It was an amazing process to go through, I couldn’t have felt more supported and trusted!
What did it mean to you to have your piece on the cover?
It was an incredible opportunity—the community reach of the magazine was huge, and the chance to create art that would be seen by thousands of people was really a springboard for me! I was encouraged to create a limited-edition series of my design because TOWN always received a lot of inquiries when an artist created the cover.
What was the reception to your TOWN cover?
I had an overwhelmingly positive response—it truly helped me grow as an artist and build community awareness for my art! Following the release of the issue in September, I was a vendor at Indie Craft Parade, and so many people purchased a print from my series . . . I couldn’t have imagined a better outcome.
Do you still have your copy of TOWN with your art on it, or the original piece?
I do! I have the original block that I carved, and a few of the prints from that series. I also have the magazine. I am so proud to have been a part of TOWN’s publications, and grateful to have the support of such an amazing community like Greenville. I love this town . . . and TOWN Magazine!
Timothy Banks | May 2018
How did your artwork end up on the cover of TOWN?
I had been working with TOWN for quite some time, creating monthly illustrations for articles and features in the magazine. My work really resonated with the editorial and design team, and I believe they felt having me as the cover artist for that year’s [Arts] issue was a great fit. It was cool to be asked to make the cover, and it was also a nice reflection of how much my work had become part of the magazine’s unique look and feel.
Did you make the artwork specifically for TOWN?
Yes, I was commissioned to illustrate a cover for the Arts Issue that showcased characters representing the different disciplines across the arts in Greenville and the Upstate. It was a fun challenge to weave several characters into a single creative moment for the cover.
What did being chosen for the cover mean to you?
It was excellent to be chosen, and it was definitely a milestone in my career.
Patricia DeLeon | May 2019
What did having your work on the cover of TOWN mean to you?
My selected painting, Radiance, was created a short time before I moved to Greenville in 2017. I was delighted to grace the cover of the community magazine of my new hometown. It felt like a warm gesture of welcome.
Do you still have the original artwork, or a copy of your TOWN cover?
The painting itself lives in the special home and collection of a brilliant art publisher. I have a special file in my studio—adjacent to a favorite stack of books on historical patterns—where I keep all of the publications that have featured me and my work and this issue of TOWN is happily nestled among them.
Nicole Shannon | Nov. 2022
What did it mean to you to have your piece on the cover?
It meant a great deal. The painting was part of my original Rare Roses series, which is based on real roses with rare genetic abnormalities, and part of a solo art exhibition I was doing in support of the Greenwood Genetics Center’s GGC Cares Fund, which helps families access potentially life-changing genetic testing and counseling.
I painted the Rare Roses from a deeply personal place. The work was my way of expressing my son’s value, and the value of all people who are often undervalued because of their differences. Seeing the work on the cover of TOWN felt like a powerful opportunity to share a message of innate value and human worth.
Did you get positive responses from the public afterward?
Yes, the response was incredibly encouraging! All of the original works shown in my solo exhibition sold, and many of the pieces now live in permanent collections at institutions including Clemson University’s Center for Human Genetics, the University of Chicago’s Department of Human Genetics, the Greenwood Genetic Center, and the Medical University of South Carolina. I was also commissioned to create artwork for Boston Children’s Hospital.
Do you still have your copy of TOWN with your art on it, or the original piece?
Yes, I still have my copy of the issue, and it’s very special to me. The original painting sold during the exhibition, but I created a limited giclée edition that will be featured in a documentary film releasing next year that highlights the Rare Roses series.
Carissa and Jessie Bowser of Victory Garden Studio | Feb. 2024
Did you make your art piece just for TOWN?
Yes! I knew I wanted it to be bright and colorful, and since it was an issue focused on the arts, I wanted to lean into the beauty and diversity of the art culture here in Greenville.
What did it mean to you to have your piece on the cover?
Even though Jesse and I had been making art both together and individually for many years, when this issue came out, it was right at the very start of us launching our business, Victory Garden Studio. The article and the opportunity to design the cover felt like confirmation we had made the right decision to take this risk of making this our full-time job together. As an artist, it has always been difficult for me to own that title—somehow thinking it could only ever be a hobby. But seeing our photos and artwork published reminded me that we absolutely can take ourselves seriously as artists and business owners. We are thankful TOWN helped remind us how wonderful it is to do what we love every day and how many other amazing makers and creatives we get to work alongside as well.
Diane Kilgore Condon | Nov. 2025
Tell us about your experience creating a cover for TOWN.
I love to see any painting or sculpture that moves my day into an experience I don’t forget. [It’s] a glorious thing; your heart gets lifted. I respect the decisions made by TOWN to put art in front of people—and I loved being included in this. We live in a town that is driven by business, but also has a huge love for culture, especially local art and music—and all arts, frankly. Greenville is good to its artists, and I was honored to be involved in any way.
Do you still have your copy of TOWN with your art on it, or the original piece?
I don’t have the paintings—the featured pieces were scooped up the first day of Open Studios—but I kept the magazine, yes! When you work on a painting you are with it for months. Then it bursts into someone else’s awareness, and they pay you the honor of enjoying it in their own world and space. Holding onto the magazine, however, ensures the artwork stays in my space and my head a little longer . . . and sometimes, your own work can influence your own work.
