Erika Lutz Email & Phone Number

Stinson Beach, Ca, Us

Leads Fire Forward's outreach to cultivate social resilience by sharing meaningful information, impactful stories, and restorative experiences with good fire. Erika serves as the Public Information Officer on prescribed burns led by Fire Forward, Rx reporter for Watch Duty, and facilitates community outreach and education. With a unique training in communication arts and design, wildland fire, and ecopsychology, Erika carries a deep respect for the complex effect that fire carries in our hearts, minds, and sense of home in the more-than-human world.

Journey to the Future, a project of A Future Worth Planning For, is an interactive puzzle sculpture designed by Erika Lutz and Briona Hendren. The engagements and installation centers the hopes of over 100 high schoolers and their visions of how the City of Santa Rosa should grow through the lens of health and environmental justice.The interactive sculpture is a culmination of several world-building workshops themed around time travel and speculative fiction. The month-long collaboration brought local youth into the fold of building a more sustainable, resilient, healthy, and inclusive city through the 30 year General Plan Update.Commissioned by Kimzin Creative, Santa Rosa’s Planning Department and Public Art Department, Journey to the Future amplifies the collective voice of Latino Service Provider’s Youth Promotores, ¡DALE! Educational Justice Youth Program, SCOE’s Youth Environmental Justice Coalition, and Roseland University Prep’s Environmental Science Class, and alt-ed students of Amarosa Academy.

A Future Worth Planning For is a collaboration with local artists to expand the City of Santa Rosa's approach in civic engagement surrounding the City of Santa Rosa's General Plan Update as it relates to health, housing, and environmental justice. Local artists lead a series of arts-inspired workshops to uplift the hopes and dreams of our young people while obtaining data from key populations – youth residents in identified Santa Rosa Equity Priority Populations. Data collected from these workshops helped ideate policies for the general plan and were source material for original art works – an interactive sculpture, an original song + music video, and a coloring book – created to share back gathered data in an engaging and powerful way. As a final installation of the work, Erika designed the installation and storytelling of A Future Worth Planning For in the chambers of Santa Rosa City Hall. The installation brought the work to life by bringing the information home to the Board of Supervisors in the Hall of Justice. The installation held a life through the voting in of critical changes proposed by Santa Rosa youth, and served as a backdrop for several key demonstrations and activations in service of youth justice, safety, and belonging.The work resulted in the adoption of new ideas directly inspired from data collected at youth workshops that were codified into the General Plan policy:- Ensure that every decision made by the City of Santa Rosa promotes community health, sustainability, equity, and environmental justice- Restrict tobacco and alcohol sales where there is already a high concentration of retailers and near sensitive populations, such as near schools and senior facilities- Require convenience stores, supermarkets, liquor stores, and neighborhood markets to carry fresh produce- Allow all forms of urban agriculture (including rooftop, indoor, and other gardens) by right citywide and allow on-site produce exchanges and sales

Texture of Love is an interactive installation led by Erika Lutz in collaboration with Kimzin Creative, On the Margins, and youth artists from ArtStart. The collaboration centered Asesadores, a multidisciplinary counsel of QBIPOC artists who are re-envisioning how artists' dignity, belonging, and cultural safety can be better honored in Sonoma County.The creation of Texture of Love involved a playful and experimental process. Asesadores created a texture of “future imprints” using pigment, movement, and objects with deeply personal and cultural significance they wished to call into the future. The texture was woven into a collage of imperfect map of First Nations, lands and vascular networks, designed to spark conversation and wonder. Intended to accompany the Asesadores as they expand into the far reaches of Sonoma County communities, an interactive element was designed to become a living texture of visual data that evolves with each new circle it reaches.

Lost in Forestville is dedicated to care of the natural world and the wilderness within. From stories to experiences, these offerings are designed to help you slow down, consider the invisible, reconnect to the heart of what makes us human in a more-than-human world.

- 2021 Independent Teacher "Wildfire Tracking Class"- 2019 Guest Speaker at AIGA SF’s WILD “Cultivating Heart-Centered Leadership”- 2018 Guest Director at Voice One "Professional Invitational"- 2017 Guest on Sound Stories Podcast "Emotional Design"- 2017 Panelist at LevelUp Conference "Good vs Bad Voiceover Reads"- 2014 Guest Speaker at Roger Williams University "Career Development"- 2013 Guest Speaker at Academy of Art "Creative Career Development"- 2009 Guest Instructor at Cartoon Art Museum "Animation Bootcamp for Kids"

Santa Rosa, California, Us

Directed “See You on the Other Side”, a pilot program that supports the social and emotional well-being of students and surrounding communities by embedding artists within schools. The mural is the result of 6 months of creative workshops where students co-designed the mural’s concept, then brought to life on 480 square feet of walls alongside artists, educators, apprentices, and community volunteers. Over 100 people collectively painted the picture with Amarosa students of a place to belong, heal, and grow. More than a mural, See You on the Other Side is a gesture of collective resilience through the spirit of creativity and the art of human connection.

San Leandro, California, Us

Online coaching sessions for kids specializing in creativity, nature connection, and self-expression. One part teacher, one part mentor, and one part guide, I believe nurturing leadership skills at an early age helps kids grow into curious, kind, and courageous adults. I lead with a compassionate mindfulness-based approach that helps kids feel safe, so that they can then learn to help bring the best out of others.

San Leandro, California, Us

San Leandro, California, Us

Lead the first online instructional coach team at EDMO’s award-winning maker and tech camp. Coached kids to develop resilience skills infused with social emotional learning, mindfulness, and core mindsets. Partnered with instructors to coach instructional skills and online learning best practices infused with trauma aware practices, community building, and social justice. Over 3 months we served over 5,000 kids joining from 43 states and 7 countries. Together, we hope to cultivate the next generation of curious, courageous, and kind human beings.

San Francisco, Ca, Us

Lead the Creative Department of 20 artists, product designers, brand designers, user researchers, motion designers, and copywriters. Provided creative vision, direction, professional development, and mentorship. Fostered a culture to inspire, unify, and empower teams to utilize each other’s strengths to function as a cohesive organization. Lumosity Recognition:- 2015 Webby Award for Mobile: Games and Handheld Devices- 2014 International Design for Experience Award for "Best Consumer Product"- 2014 App Store Best New App- 2014 App Store Editor’s Choice- 2014 Google Play’s Beautiful Design (Summer)- Google’s Best Apps of 2014- 2014 Best Places to Work in the Bay Area- 2014 Webby Award Honoree for Mobile & App Best Practices- 2013 Webby Award Honoree for Web Educationww.lumosity.comhttps://itunes.apple.com/us/app/lumosity-brain-training/id577232024https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lumoslabs.lumosity

San Francisco, Ca, Us

Evangelized the value, strategy, and implementation of narrative, emotional design, and motion across the Product, Marketing, Creative, and Eng Departments. Lead development of Brand Personality, Design Language principles, and Component Library systems.

San Francisco, Ca, Us

A founding leader of Lumosity’s incubator to create an innovative children’s product bridging play with early cognitive and social-emotional development. Conceptualized, created and launched an award-winning collection of adaptive, play-based digital activities for 2 to 5-year-olds, rooted in developmental psychology theory and scientific findings. Established brand identity, led creative vision, and assisted growing the cross-functional team. Contributed to development including art, animation, voice acting, visual design, sound design, UX and game design.LumiKids Recognition:- 2015 KAPi Award for Best App for Younger Children- 2014 The Guardian’s Best iPad Apps for Kids- 2015 Children’s Technology Review’s Editor’s Choice For Excellence In Design - 2015 National Parenting Awards Gold Winner- 2015 Academics’ Choice Smart Media Award Winner- 2015 Webby Award finalist (Family & Kids)

San Francisco, Ca, Us

Established and led the rebranded Lumosity’s art, animation, audio style. Played a central role in leading the in-house creative team to achieve a holistic brand personality and visual identity by contributing, establishing, and elevating the creative direction. Hired and managed the 5 person art team, created and managed the production pipeline of 16 web and 10 mobile games. Co-led and grew the mobile and games team to 30 people to launch and maintain the iOS and Android apps. As a result, our apps reached #1 in Education in the iTunes App Store, over 25 million cumulative downloads, with over 60 million users, and a rating of 4+ with a consistent top 5 Education category ranking since launch.

Us

Animation and art direction on award-winning games for iOS, Android, web, and Leapster to create original content and expand on licensed brands. Managed internal and external art teams of 8 people. Collaborated with teams to launch 12 mobile apps, 14 Leapster titles, and numerous web games. Clients included Disney, PIXAR, LeapFrog, LucasArts, Nick Jr, Scholastic and Sony PlayStation.com. Promoted from Lead Animator in 2010.iOS, Android, and Leapster titles included:- Go, Clifford, Go! (iPad & iPhone)- The Magic Schoolbus: Dinosaurs & Oceans (iPad)- I SPY Super Challenger! (Leapster)- Pixar: Up (Leapster)- Ni Hao Kai-Lan: Beach Day (Leapster)- Star Wars: Jedi Reading (Leapster)- Disney Princess: Worlds of Enchantment (Leapster)- Learnl Preschool: Coloring Book (iPad)Recognition included:- 2011 The New York Times Best Children’s Books on the iPad for Magic Schoolbus: Oceans- 2011 Children’s Technology Review Editors Choice Award for Magic Schoolbus: Oceans- 2011 The New York Times Best Children’s Books on the iPad for Go, Clifford, Go!- 2010 Parents’ Choice Foundation Silver Honor Mobile Apps for Go, Clifford, Go!- 2008 Parents’ Choice Foundation Silver Honor: Video Games for Get Puzzled!- 2007 NAPPA Gold Award: Software, Video Games & Web Sites for Get Puzzled!

Designed station identity in new broadcast and print elements with sensitivity to established branding. Created motion graphics and broadcast design for commercial production and branding identity. Hired and managed team of 4 artists. Involved in projects from concept through post-production in collaboration with producers and clients. Promoted from Motion Graphic Artist to Art Director within 6 months.Recognition included:- 2004 Emmy Award for Outstanding Commercial, NATAS: Nation’s Capital for "Dine and Recline"- 2004 Virginia Association of Broadcasting Best Commercial (Runner-up) for "Dine and Recline"

Richmond, Va, Us

Instructed Electronic Animation 1 and 2 courses in the VCU School of the Arts: Kinetic Imaging Dept. Taught traditional and experimental methods utilizing both practical and digital techniques. Lesson plans included animation history, media theory and practical application.

Certificate In Ecopsychology, Ecotherapy

California Naturalist Program

Bfa, Communication Art & Design: Kinetic Imagery

Leadership Development Program