about russ deveau

Russ DeVeau is a designer, editor, writer and strategic communications professional.

His passion for architecture and design began when he was growing up in central Connecticut where he spent a great deal of time as a child drawing elevations of spaces and rooms. He studied architecture in high school and attended art and design classes at the School of Visual Arts in New York City.

DeVeau went on to earn an MFA in environmental design from Parsons School of Design where his thesis was sponsored by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

He wrote and illustrated Fiber Optic Lighting, A Guide for Specifiers, one of the first books to explore how fiber optic systems could be used to illuminate architectural and museum environments. This well reviewed educational text was released in multiple languages and acquired by libraries around the world.

His work has appeared in numerous top tier media outlets including Architectural Lighting Magazine and Fiber Optic Product News.

DeVeau has a deep appreciation for both modern and historic architecture and design.

He spent a good part of his late teens and early twenties living in, and helping to restore, a farm house that was built in 1767. This large family home – pictured on the right – was located on Maple Street, in the historic Harris Hill section of Wethersfield, CT.

He went on to spend several years working in the homes and mansions on the Hartford College for Women campus (HCW), which was located in Hartford’s West End and where DeVeau held a range of positions in public program development, marketing and facilities management.

DeVeau managed the HCW public art gallery where he curated, designed and installed exhibitions focused on diversity and women’s issues, and where he featured women artists working at the regional, national and international level.

DeVeau relies on his innate capacity for quality aesthetics to deliverer exceptional design results to the clients he supports.

He has a deep appreciation for the Bauhaus style and immense respect for contemporary architects, artists and designers who strive for, and demonstrate, extreme originality in their work.

During his time working at HCW, DeVeau lived and worked at 80 Elizabeth Street, the former home of the diCorica family. This extremely modern house was built in 1951 and designed by noted Connecticut architect, Philip Joseph diCorcia. Philip Johnson and Eero Saarinen reportedly contributed ideas to the design of this very special home.

DeVeau often refers to 80 Elizabeth Street as one of Hartford’s most unique homes and one of the area’s best-kept architectural secrets.

He moved to the art center at 111 First Street in Jersey City, NJ after leaving Hartford to finish his graduate degree and where he shared living and studio space with internationally acclaimed Russian-born artist, Irina Nahkova.

Hundreds of artists and designers from around the world lived and worked at the art center.

According to DeVeau, both the art center and 80 Elizabeth Street were often great environments to create and write.

While 80 Elizabeth Street was a modern, private and quiet home filled with natural light by design, the industrial factory turned art center in Jersey City was a haven for talented artists and crafts people often working on a wide range of projects 24 hours a day.

DeVeau has since lived and worked in Paris, London, Fort Lauderdale, San Francisco and Provincetown where he has worked on a wide range of design and editorial projects.

He is now based in New York City where he regularly consults on design, digital advertising, editorial and content development and marketing programs for a diverse roster of clients.

DeVeau’s undergraduate degree is in communications and marketing, with an emphasis on creative writing and video production.

He has served on numerous art, community and educational boards and committees, including two years on the Designer’s Lighting Forum of New York City board of directors.

The collage of three black and white photos included above were taken by DeVeau when he lived at 80 Elizabeth Street in Hartford, CT. The single black and white photo included above is one of three historic mansions located on the former HCW campus and is from the Historic Buildings of Connecticut Blog.

The photos below showcase some of the designs DeVeau has created and worked on in art gallery, retail and residential environments. These photos include pictures from his time working on the Swarovski crystal fiber optic lighting product marketing team, a position he held right after graduate school, and several pictures from his work in curating, designing and promoting regional and international art exhibitions.

DeVeau includes a wide range of additional photos of his work as a graphic designer, writer, market researcher and global communications professional on his website and blog at russdeveau.com.