Jesse David Horowitz lives and
works in New York City as an Industrial Designer specializing in Toy Design and
Illustration.
In addition, his
wide range of artistic talent includes graphic design, licensed character
development, architectural sketches, oil painting, silkscreen prints,
watercolor drawings, wildlife nature drawings, sculpture, ceramics and
photography.
As a senior in
college, he won First Prize in an Industrial Design contest sponsored by RCA's
Major Weapons Systems Division for a NASA space shot control room environment
that incorporated a modular computer desk system. Graduating with a Bachelor of
Industrial Design degree from Syracuse University, Jesse was the first Syracuse
ID graduate ever to be hired by General Motors Styling. He is a highly
motivated, innovative and creative problem solver with a consistent record of
excellent design and unique product accomplishments.
During his years at the GM Tech Center, he
continued his fine arts training at the famed Cranbrook Academy of Art and also
at Wayne State University. Upon returning east he switched his career from
designing big people’s toys, and went on to a distinguished career creating,
inventing and designing children’s toys.
At Topper Toys he was the creator
and designer of the JOHNNY EAGLE line, JOHNNY SPEED
line, SILLY SAFARI game and SUZY CUTE doll and line.
His unique package design for the "PENNY BRITE" beauty line won the
Grand Award in Chain Store Age Magazine's VASPA competition.
As head of Industrial Design for a
newly created offsite Research & Development team of the Kenner Toy Company
he conceived of the idea and
helped in the development of the breakthrough toy hit STRETCH ARMSTRONG. Based on Stretch Armstrong’s success, and seeing
the advantages of a separate R&D entity, when they split off from the
General Mills Corporation, Kenner Toys, Parker Brothers Games and Fundimensions
(crafts and Lionel), joined together and formed a fourth company for the
new corporation as its Marketing and Design R&D group. They named it MAD.
As Director of Design for the MAD East group (a sister west coast group was
formed a few years later), Jesse and his team created many successful toys and
toy lines for the Kenner, Parker and Fundimensions companies and many unique
toys that were never produced. He and his group were directly responsible for
the creation of two of the most famous and monetarily successful toy industry
icons: STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE and CARE BEARS.
After Tonka Toys
disbanded the MAD group in a buy-out of the KennerParker Toy Group, Jesse went independent and among other
clients, designed products and graphics for Disney on Ice, Ringling Brothers
Barnum & Bailey Circus, Takara, Galoob, Playwell, Just Toys and Little
Tikes.
Jesse lectured on “THE FUTURE OF TOY DESIGN” at the International Innovative Industrial Design Symposium sponsored by the Hong Kong Productivity Council at the Hong Kong
Convention & Exhibit Center. The following year he was invited back by the Toy Manufacturers of Hong Kong, Product Development Institute to conduct an intensive five-day
workshop on Innovative Product Development called “CONCEPTS and TECHNIQUES FOR TOY DESIGN”.
Always keeping
his interest in fine art Jesse never gave up his purely creative juices.
Throughout the years he has produced extremely creative art in multiple
disciplines. i.e.: oils, watercolor, silk-screen, pen & ink, 3D
sculpture and ceramics. Recently he has transferred his talent to the computer
and reproduced many of his well-known pieces into quality art prints, some of
which are displayed on this site.
Art galleries representing his fine art
prints:
ARTISTS & ARTISANS SHOP, Belgrade Lakes Village, Maine
MAINE LAKES RESOURCE CENTER, Belgrade Lakes Village, Maine
MINNEHONK Gallery, Mt. Vernon, Maine.
The BONE CARVER Gallery, Mt. Vernon, Maine.
KENNEDY Studios, Vineyard Haven, Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts
PASTICHE Gallery, Racine, Wisconsin.
Jesse is an avid SCUBA diver and holds a 6th degree black belt ranking in the World Seido Karate Organization. He has kept his BODY, MIND, and SPIRIT in shape through his thirty nine years of
training directly under the famed and world renowned Grandmaster Tadashi Nakamura.
Jesse can be contacted at:
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