I started The Art Seen to solve a simple problem: there was a lot of great student art on campus, but no one was looking at it. As the gallery grew, I refined the mission into two parts:
To make art accessible to anyone—visible and affordable in a way original art rarely is.
To support students in their creative endeavors. Give students a place to establish themselves as artists, and to make a little money while they’re at it.
With these goals in mind, I brought together over 20 artists in a variety of exhibitions, hosting shows all around the Williams campus and wider community, culminating in a pop-up sale of student art at the 2024 Williams Alumni Reunion that generated over $2000 for students in two days.
Brand/Marketing
Leadership and Learning
The gallery also gave me a crash course in leadership. I started off trying to do everything myself, and quickly realized that the things that worked best involved others: connecting with local businesses, building community on campus, and encouraging reluctant artists to show their work.
tangled, the first guest-curated exhibition and a resounding success, emerged through a day-long conversation with two artists who proposed the idea. It was a reminder of what I had learned over the course of running the gallery: that leadership isn’t about having all the answers yourself, but instead creating the space for other people’s ideas to flourish.
Papa Nopapa's
Ravioli Condoms
I didn't mean to start a condom brand. Born from a feverish vision of 'ravioli condoms,' Papa Nopapa’s has become a case study in taking a stupid idea seriously, and watching people actually want it. Launching summer 2025, Papa Nopapa's is a novelty brand, but with real condom companies in its sights. While it might look like a joke, it's not.
Brand
Papa Nopapa's is nothing without cohesive, intelligent branding. Working with my brother, we've tirelessly made and remade the packaging to be detail-perfect. It's been an incredible real-world exploration of packaging design, and has resulted in a can that's incredibly eye-catching, and keeps offering details for the viewer to explore.
Advertising and Strategy
Funny, shocking, and sex positive are the goals of all Papa Nopapa's advertising materials. Papa Nopapa's aims to capitalize on the viral world we live in, using irreverent and Gen-Z targeted memes and videos to gain a cult following. Manufacturing controversy, absurdist advertising, and an "all news is good news" approach characterizes the marketing strategy.
Studio Art and Ceramics
Art has always been a big part of my life, and the last four years have been no exception. As an art history/studio major (in addition to English), and the co-leader of the Ceramics Club, I've been lucky enough to be immersed in the arts at Williams and in the wider community.
The attached work is from various studio art classes, including Drawing, Oil Painting, and Video Art, in addition to some assorted ceramics work. Enjoy!
Ceramics and Javi
Physical Artwork
About Me
I'm Nick, a soon-to-be-graduated senior studying English and Art History/Studio at Williams College. I'm interested in product design and branding, which I think in the best cases work hand in hand. I'm exploring careers in advertising and marketing—how we're convinced to use the products we now use every day. I love art, design, books, movies, music, and anything else that has a vision and executes it uncompromisingly.
Get in touch:
Email: npg2@williams.edu
LinkedIn: @nickgarlid
Nick Garlid
Email: npg2@williams.edu
LinkedIn: @nickgarlid
Get in touch!