I’ve been back for over a week, and I’m still beat from my two-and-a-half days in Kansas City, where they rolled out the red carpet treatment—nonstop. It was an exciting, enlightening, and entertaining trip, and quite nutritious—for the relationship between Hallmark and Portfolio Center. You know, we have at least 20 alumni designers, illustrators, and art directors employed by Hallmark, and new opportunities are in the works for writers and photographers.

Here’s how it all went down: Scott and Greg, two heads of product areas, met me on arrival and took me to the Capital Grille for dinner. I usually eat fish these days, but I was told in no uncertain terms that when you’re in Kansas City, you eat meat—a great excuse to order filet mignon. (I swear I only ate half.)

Early the next morning, I was picked up for a tour through the product design studios, then a meeting with the licensing and party people. An amazing array of cultures are represented, Hallmark licenses so many products. Then I saw where they do their in-house advertising before Paul, senior VP of product development, took me on a tour of Crown Center at large.

And large it is, like a college campus, with as many resources for their artist employees: an art supply store where designers, art directors, illustrators, etc. can get any type of art supply that they may need to do their job properly–paint, specialty papers, cutting boards, spray mount, and, of course, x-acto blades; two different card shops where employees can purchase discounted merchandise; a Starbuck’s (I only ordered “tall.”); an unbelievable archive collection that houses work that dates back hundreds of years and includes work by notable former Hallmark employees, such as the great calligraphy artist Hermann Zapf.

Later, I met up with a bunch of our alumni (a shout out to Amanda, David, Maria, Ameet, Christine, and Michael) for lunch, which, come to think of it, might be why I’m so exhausted. Try “catching up” with a group of creatives whose idea of down-time is showering between kickboxing and closing the clubs down.

I was happy to see how well our alums are doing in KC. And why wouldn’t they be? They’re doing work they love, for a company that respects and nurtures them, in the barbeque capital of the world.

Following lunch, I met with the recruiting team to discuss those in-the-works possibilities I mentioned before. Hallmark has over 60 writers on staff, as well as a full-time photography team with their own building. (Hmmm….a whole building…with plenty of room…and some of those writers are bound to retire or move up into management…)

Then the best surprise ever: the United States poet laureate, Ted Kooser, reading at the Rice Center, which is Hallmark’s resource renewal facility, housed in the Crown Center complex. I loved Kooser—his work and his delivery—a small guy who packs a big wallop. Kooser himself says he writes for a general audience/the world rather than for other writers. His work is meaningful—quite moving—and accessible.

The reason for the reading (my visit—not) was Hallmark’s celebration of Word Week. Previously had been Trend Week and, before that, Type Week. Hallmark seeks to constantly feed and inspire its artists. C’mon! The poet laureate! This company has some serious cachet.

Well, more meetings (and meals my nutritionist wouldn’t approve) ensued before the ‘meet the judges’ event, which was all fun and frivolity, each of us talking about our passions and answering questions on every subject from soap to soup. Margo and Michael set the bar for inspiration and imagination, and it was an honor to be on the panel with them.

More later about the A2 Design competition itself, but let me end now by saying thanks to Kelly, Terri Ann, and all those folks I mentioned earlier, who went out of their way to make my visit unforgettable.

Below is a photo of me with alums Ameet, Chantal, Bryan, Amanda, and Christine, along with Michael and his buddy from Sprint, Jeff.

Trackback.