JT Daniels, a native of Kansas City, Kansas, has received the Park University Promising Young Professional Award.
The award was given by the Park University Alumni Association on Sept. 17 in a virtual award ceremony. Daniels currently is a resident of Kansas City, Missouri, where he has a studio.
Daniels graduated from Park University in 2011 and shows exceptional leadership promise in his field, according to the alumni association.
After graduating from Park, Daniels rented a studio space in the Kansas City area to focus on commissioned work.
He was preparing to move out of the studio when he got a phone call that changed the course of his career, a Park spokesman stated in a news release. A scout was looking to photograph Midwest artists in their studios for a marketing campaign.
Afterward, a New York advertising firm noticed his colorful, fluid style and invited him to be one of 10 artists to submit designs for iced tea labels, according to the spokesman.
Daniels’ vibrant, streamlined designs are now featured on bottles of Brisk iced tea.
His uplifting murals can also be seen all over the Kansas City metro area, from the walls of local businesses to Kansas City Streetcar stops to the historic 18th and Vine District, according to the Park news release.
His colorful, expressive murals have also been commissioned by numerous clients in the Kansas City region.
Daniels’ portfolio continues to grow nationally in original works, collaborative projects and murals that address socially relevant topics, according to a Park University spokesman.
Daniels’ website is at http://www.jtdanielsart.com/.
Park University, a nonprofit private institution, was founded in 1875 in Parkville, Missouri, and now has 41 campuses in 22 states and also offers online education.