Sanders “Skip” Bryant

also known as Piks (his nickname "Skip" spelled backwards) grew up on the tough Eastside of Detroit, MI which has influenced an urban art style that his work reflects. During the 90's as a young artist it was at Kingpin Airbrushing in Detroit he developed a reputation nationwide for having exceptional artistic abilities along with legit street cred and innovative concepts that were years ahead of the time. As a Kingpin he led a booming industry by creating original hand-painted murals and photo backgrounds that became a trademark at concerts, festivals and clubs across the country with super dope designs that are still being copied now nearly 30 years later.

Piks hadn't received any formal art education until being accepted at age 25 into Detroit's Center for Creative Studies Industrial Design program, one of the most prestigious and challenging design curriculum’s anywhere. Recruited to the design studio with only raw talent he studied interior, product and transportation design trained alongside of classmates who are now some of the world’s top automotive designers.

Literally helping to shape the urban theater industry in the United States, Bryant’s accomplishments include over 20 years designing national touring stage designs, scenic art, logos and graphic packages for productions such as Sean "Diddy" Combs (Super Bowl XL Diddy's House), LL Cool J (10 Tour), Jamie Foxx (Unpredictable Tour), Mary J. Blige (MJB The Breakthrough Tour), Chris Brown, Lil Wayne, Marquis Houston, Katt Williams (2015 Conspiracy Theory Tour) as well as theatrical productions with playwrights such as the late Ron Milner (Inner City Miracles: Judge Greg Mathis Story), Tyler Perry & TD Jakes (Woman Thou Art Loosed), Motown Producer Mickey Stevenson (Sing Sista Sing), Morris Chestnut (Love in the Nick of Tyme) and multiple productions with David E. Talbert, Je'Caryous Johnson, the late Shelly Garrett, Michael Baisden, Angela Barrow-Dunlap, Laterras Whitfield, TJ Hemphill to name some of his most recognized clients.

2019 was a busy year producing live TV broadcast while also creating stunning stage designs, digital effects packages and producing video content for the national touring hit stage play Pride and Joy: The Marvin Gaye Musical.

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic postponed a project set to debut he’d been working on with Judge Greg Mathis, but Mr. Bryant stayed busy creating an interior design for the new Joe Louis Southern Kitchen restaurant in Detroit. He was selected by SaveArtSpace Detroit’s billboard exhibition to display his “Queen of Soul” portrait in honor of the late singer Aretha Franklin and also commissioned to design the iconic official poster for the 41st Annual Detroit Jazz Festival presented by Rocket Mortgage.

Today Sanders Bryant is a 3x Regional EMMY Award winning TV producer, Creative Director and Production Designer with extensive production and design experience and a vast list of artistic projects performed nationwide.

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Here’s a timeline of my artistic journey:

**1970's**

Growing up I loved building model cars, airplanes, boats and erector sets. I collected army men and football figures I would paint uniforms on. I was adventurous and outgoing...a boys’ boy.
I was a boy scout, alter boy and usher at church, played football everyday and boxed, loved racing, camping, but was just a small skinny kid. I had a vivid imagination and always wanted to be a soldier growing up so I loved army movies and drawing from them.

**1984**

Hip-Hop became a major influence. My brother (1 yr. younger) and I started DJing, break dancing and creating graffti style art with characters, etc. We got really good fast and became well known and admired in school and around the neighborhood for our "Mad Skillz".

**1985**

I entered Golightly Technical Center's Mass Media Program where I fell in love with audio & video production. One of my teachers (Ken Sands) was a Motown Audio Engineer that recorded Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On.
My brother and I also worked with my father video taping and DJing weddings he photographed. Our father brought home a Commodore computer and by 1988 we upgraded to a cutting edge Amiga computer and worked doing freelance computer graphics while in high school.

**1987**

Already a professional DJ with a studio record "on wax", a pioneer computer graphic artist and video producer....my father bought an airbrush for us to try.
I started airbrushing posters, t-shirts and denim outfits. I won a citywide design contest and my art was displayed in the Detroit Institute of Arts where it was stolen.
I felt I must be really good for my art to be appealing enough to be stolen in public like that.

**1988**

My lifelong dream of being a U.S. Marine ended when I was denied due to having chronic bronchitis and started freelancing as a videographer at Barden Cable Station. Although being more technically advanced than older producers I couldn't get hired at the few Detroit TV stations or recording studios.
I was making good money working at a hotel but airbrushing was now getting "hotter than the summer of 88" and my style was in high demand. The airbrush t-shirts I created with Hip-Hop characters were selling out daily!

Screen Shot 2015-11-30 at 8.06.52 PM.png — **1993**

After living the fast life hustlin' in the streets of Detroit combined with having the hottest airbrush style in Detroit I became a "KINGPIN" with Kingpin Airbrushing, a group of the best urban artist in the country.
We became pioneers in airbrushing customizing new and classic cars, motorcycles, backdrops, and clothes for clients from celebs, to businesses and corporate clients. Every year we traveled around the country and were always a premier attraction winning vendor awards and sponsorships at some of the biggest expos and festivals in the USA.
Also my daughter was born and my dear grandmother died that same year.

FullSizeRender 11.jpg — **1995**

Turning course I became a struggling student at age 25 when I was recommended to attend the Center for Creative Studies (CCS) - a tuition doubling University of Michigan’s.
I was accepted into their prestigious Industrial Design program. I started in Transportation Design among the best of the best artist with only 15 of the top rated students in the school being chosen.
I wanted to be a car designer but couldn't afford the classes and supplies needed to finish so I mixed a curriculum of transportation, product, interior and exhibit design. Ironically as a student I created an innovative bottle design that was ahead of the times.
The "upside down" bottle design I created had the top located on the bottom like most lotions, shampoos, ketchup and mustard bottles are made now.
Today many of my CCS peers are leaders in the auto industry designing cars that I remember seeing them sketch in school like Dodge CEO Ralph Gilles Chrysler 300, and GM designer Gary Mack’s Buick Enclave.

**1997**

A newly wed after marrying my high school sweetheart. Just before our wedding I was flown to Hollywood, California where I stayed in Beverly Hills for over a month designing a cartoon series.
Needing a steady job back home I started working at a local sign shop in Detroit. I met Keith Jackson of Deep Drama Design and we’ve created set designs, scenic art and interior designs together over the next 20 yrs.
I've also toured the country with the stage plays, designing sets, logo's, posters and providing creative direction for many Producer/Writer/Directors such as Tyler Perry, David E. Talbert, Morris Chestnut to name a few.

**1999**

Created a scenic design for then up and coming director Tyler Perry's first national touring show, T.D. Jakes "Woman Thou Art Loosed" which later was produced as a film in 2004.

**2001**

After touring the country with stage productions I started working as a sound engineer during services at my church. I returned to TV production working on Comcast Cable's local production crew, recording concerts and events, editing and creating graphic packages for the station.
I passed all the test to be hired by the City of Detroit as an Architect, but was contracted as a producer/editor/photographer for the City of Detroit's Channel 10.
Since 2001 I've worked closely with the mayors of Detroit creating original shows, PSA's, promo's and covering events in the city as part of the Mayor's Office communications team.

**2002**

Designed a popular clothing line called "The Blu Collection" with Ericka Davis which led me into fashion photography and make-up working with many of Detroit's top models over the next 10 years.

**2007**

Worked with David E. Talbert to create a book cover for his "Baggage Claim" novel which was produced as a feature film in 2013.
I've also worked with David on many of his shows and in 2007 worked with Morris Chestnut on "Love In The Nick of Tyme" that airs nationally on the BET Network and Netflix.

**2009**

The recession! Laid off by the City of Detroit I freelanced setting up photo shoots for magazine covers and ads.
While waiting to go to Hollywood to work on David E. Talbert’s film (which was cancelled for the year) I tried moving to Houston, Texas briefly losing a lot in the process. It was a tough lesson learned setting up a hard come back that I slowly recovered from but the bad experience made me much stronger and wiser.

**2010**

I was called back to work for the City of Detroit, and proud to design the first press briefing studio for Mayor Dave Bing.

**2012**

Most of my focus was now on working for the City of Detroit as a TV producer. I slowed down a lot on freelance projects, set designs, interior designs, airbrushing and retired from photography to focus on doing original art and studying writing.
I also began doing digital illustrations for book covers and children books that I did a series of that year.

**2014**

Nominated for an EMMY Award in Michigan. Since 2010 I was given the task of producing and directing the LIVE broadcast of the mayor of Detroit's State of the City Address (2010-present).
I also purchased a home and started a new company HEIRS Creative Company. My plan is to create a lasting legacy through art.

**2015**

Won a regional EMMY Award in Michigan with 3 other EMMY nominated productions.
Also awarded a Spirit of Detroit Award from Detroit's City Council and became Production Manager for the City of Detroit Channel's 10, 21 and 22.

**2017**

My 6th year as Producer and Director for the Mayor's State of the City Address live broadcast which I received my 4th EMMY award nomination for writing the intro video.
This was also my 2nd year directing Wayne County's State of the County Address broadcast.

**2019**

My busiest year ever!
In the same few months I produced and directed the Mayor’s State of the City Address live broadcast, State of the County Address, began intensive Lean Six Sigma Project training and also worked on the stage production of Pride & Joy: The Marvin Gaye Musical creating its scenic designs, producing video and digital content for every scene in the show.
Officially endorsed by Berry Gordy, Jr. I had the privilege of working with a legendary group of people such as Producer Marvin Gaye III, Promoter Quentin Perry, Writer Angela Barrow Dunlap, Director TJ Hemphill and a superb cast and crew.

sanders.2.jpg — **2020**

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic affecting the world, my time in Detroit has been productive and rewarding.
I received 2 Emmy Award nominations with a team of co-producers in 2020. My painting in honor of Aretha Franklin titled simply “Queen of Soul” was choose for Save ArtSpace Detroit’s billboard exhibition.
Also while working on a fabulous design for the new Joe Louis Southern Kitchen restaurant I was selected to design the iconic poster for the 2020 Detroit Jazz Festival presented by Rocket Mortgage, joining artist such as Andy Warhol and Keith Herring who did previous designs.

**2021**

Working closely with Joe Louis Barrow Jr. and design team to create our beautifully designed Joe Louis Southern Kitchen in Detroit which is becoming one of the city’s most popular destinations.
And won my 2nd EMMY Award for “The Mr. E Show”.

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