TEXARKANA MAGAZINE
Amy’s Ice Creams, Cedar Park, Texas
W alk down any of the most iconic streets in Austin, Texas, and you will notice the fun, vibrant, one-of-a-kind art installations by Texarkana native Will Bryant. His canvases include everything from a four- story parking garage on South Congress to apparel collections for some of the most popular cycling communities in Texas. Even more of his art can be found in advertising campaigns, offices, and storefronts for world-famous brands like Adidas, Nike, Lululemon, Facebook, Nickelodeon, Southwest Airlines, Fiat, New York Times, Portland Institute of Contemporary Art, Wieden+Kennedy, and Target—just to name a few. It also appears in unexpected places like on pickleball paddles,
Married to his longtime love, Sally, also from Texarkana, Will considers his family to be the top priority of his life. With his parents close by for support, they are a tight-knit group, and Will loves watching the world through his children’s eyes. He is honored that his family members have always been his biggest fans and greatest support. Will was born in Murfreesboro, Tennessee; he moved to Texarkana with his parents, Dorene and Steve Bryant, when his dad was relocated for work. For him, growing up in Texarkana felt safe, as he was supported by a strong community network. Making friends and learning from the upstanding adults in his life taught Will many of the most important lessons he leans on today as a professional creative and business owner.
record sleeves, furniture, snowboards, and even underwear. As a professional artist, designer, and illustrator based in Austin, Will is one of the most well-known and highly respected creatives of his kind. His unique atheistic is bold, cheerful, and full of colors, with a strong 90s influence. Of all his amazing work, Will says one of his favorite campaigns was for Michaels. This campaign allowed his daughter, Polly, to participate, making her a literal part of his work. The Michaels project captured his daughter at a beautiful age and will always be close to his heart. These days, it is common to find Polly, who is now eight, in his studio, hanging out and even helping him select colors for new designs. Will also has a precious three-year-old son, James, who loves visiting his studio, and currently believes his dad “invented the smiley face.”
Will played multiple sports and participated in various clubs and activities while in Texarkana. Things like Boy Scouts and Pleasant Grove Youth Association basketball taught him the importance of a strong work ethic. Sports also taught him extreme attention to detail and that a person always has to challenge and push themselves to break through to the next level. His artistic career requires a certain type of discipline, so he has always been grateful for his upbringing in Texarkana. His coaches and teachers instilled that discipline in him from a young age, and he will never forget those lessons. Going to high school at Pleasant Grove (PG), Will remembers his first real creative outlet being a t-shirt company he created with a friend, Lance Russell. The two would use fabric blow-pens to create each element and spend hours making just one shirt. It was very inefficient. At PG, Will was part of the yearbook and newspaper teams and took two art classes. However, it did not register in his
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COMMUNITY & CULTURE
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