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Justin Clifton was born in 1978 to proud parents Rich & Donita in the great state of Iowa. In 1983 He graduated kindergarten and moved to Mankato Minnesota, with his parents and siblings to tackle grammar, middle, junior and senior high schools. Justin graduated high school in 1996 and was accepted into the prestigious Minneapolis College of Art & Design to pursue what he then very loosely called “art.” Four years and many borrowed dollars later, Justin finished a BFA focused on advanced printmaking techniques in Intaglio, Lithography, and Serigraphy.

In 2001 Justin was given the amazing opportunity to consult on building an unprecedented art program for adults with disabilities with Lifeworks Services Inc. Later that year The Lifeworks Visual Art Studio was born, and Justin accepted a position with Lifeworks as Art Coordinator / Service Facilitator. It remains one of very few programs in the country to offer a full time open art studio along with Art as Vocation services to adults with disabilities.

Two years later Justin took a personal sabbatical to New Mexico to recharge his batteries, exercise his passion for the outdoors and attempt to create new work. He had no idea that this endeavor would create in him a new love of art in digital media and graphic design.

14 months later after ‘graduating’ from The New Mexico Mountain Club rock climbing school, putting 2,500 miles on an old motorcyle, and teaching himself a great deal about digital media and design, Justin moved back to the Midwest to circle the wagons and pursue a design degree to compliment his BFA in printmaking. He enrolled in a Graphic Production program with South Central College and customized his AAS to include Commercial & Technical Art, Graphic Design, and Production. He graduated with honors in 2006.

Justin began taking commissions while pursuing his AAS degree, and stepped out on his own to helm this one-man professional design studio in the summer of 2007.

Justin’s resume.