Voices of the Bay

The many hats of Warren’s volunteer firefighter, beekeeper, and designer Andrew Canario

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Andrew Canario of Warren gained valuable corporate experience working at Pawtucket ad agency Global View Communications doing Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) recruitment campaigns. Now at the helm at his eponymous firm, work in the field continues to expand with clients from around the country. The Mt. Hope High School grad credits teacher Lauren Enjeti for mentoring a bridge between artistic aptitude and interest in animation and static design. A graduate of Johnson & Wales University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Graphic Arts, Canario is a volunteer fireman with Warren’s Engine 5 and heavily involved with fundraising for the firehouse. He’s also passionate about beekeeping, and owns 11 chickens and a goose.

A Teacher’s Impact: My affinity for art in the digital space took off with classes at Mt. Hope. I took some of the concepts I was learning in visual art with my interest in animation design and static design and with the help of Ms. Enjeti was able to bring those concepts together and saw this avenue where I could make a career out of it. I’m so thankful for the impact she has had on my career and even shaping me as a person. Those classes need to be offered and [funded by the district] because kids who are interested in art like I was can find themselves having a creative career.

Moving Forward: Advertising is getting much more granular into minor populations of people who had not been represented before. Diversity without inclusion would be when you have a message that you are trying to get to an audience that is diverse in characteristics like age, population, sex, but if you are not taking that same message with a call to action where the target audience is more likely to receive the information – i.e. websites, channels – then that is not being inclusive.

Community Involvement: When I was young I would go to the firehouse with my stepfather Jason Sousa to help clean up and stuff. In high school my first job was designing a T-shirt for Engine 5. At 16 I completed the state-mandated training program. I feel very fortunate to be part of this community. I think being a volunteer fireman is an interesting example of how our local community can work together and make sub-communities within that.

Animal Appreciation: I love when I can take my passion for art and animals and do that together. I’ve done some work for Night Watch Elite Animal Emergency in Texas. If I hadn’t pursued art I would have gone into animal care. There is something really rewarding about taking care of my animals.

Visions to Reality: I’ve learned that while everybody’s creative and has a picture in their head, not everyone knows how to access it. For me it’s about trying to help bring a client’s creative ideas to life visually. I love doing that. Learn more at AndrewCanario.com

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