Design Takes the Pitch for 2026

An inside look of the Official FIFA World Cup 26™ Kansas City Poster Contest

This panel, highlighting the five finalists from the Official FIFA World Cup 26™ Kansas City Poster Contest, will provide an in-depth conversation with the artists and a look at the selected poster design that showcases Kansas City’s spirit and creativity, as the region prepares to host the FIFA World Cup 26™. These talented artists, selected from over 100 submissions across Kansas and Missouri, will share insights into their creative processes and the inspiration behind their poster designs and their day to day work. The conversation, moderated by Chandler Johnson, will offer a unique opportunity to learn about the artistic journey of each finalist and their contributions to Kansas City's vibrant design community.

The finalists include Max Gregg, Jadie Arnett, Eric Winter, Julianne Melograno, and Tom Patrick, each bringing a unique perspective to their designs. Max Gregg, a senior at the University of Central Missouri, combines design and illustration with experience from internships at a global architecture firm and design agency. Jadie Arnett, a designer at a specialty brewing company, creates work that reflects her Missouri roots. Julianne Melograno’s clever style serves as a love letter to Kansas City, while Tom Patrick brings over 20 years of creative experience as a freelance designer and illustrator. Eric Winter, an associate professor, adds his diverse expertise in design pedagogy and professional work.

This event promises to be an inspiring exploration of how art and design can capture the essence of a region and its significance on the world’s stage, offering a unique glimpse into the creative minds shaping Kansas City’s visual identity for the FIFA World Cup 26™.

Attendees at this event will have a chance to win this year's winning poster design! There will be multiple opportunities to participate.

Day Eight - April 29

Apr 29, 2025 | 11:30am-1:00pm

11:30am | Check-in
12:00pm | Panel
Lunch Provided

Center for Architecture & Design
1801 McGee St, Ste 100
Kansas City, MO 64108
United States

$18 + fees online | $25 at door

Buy Tickets

Presenters

Jadie Arnett

Jadie Arnett grew up in Columbia, Missouri, and after college, she relocated to Kansas City to work as a designer for a specialty brewing company, where she has been for nearly three years. In College, she earned a dual bachelor’s degree in graphic design and illustration. After graduating, she moved to Kansas City to work as a designer for a specialty brewing company, where she has been for almost three years.

Max Gregg

Max Gregg is currently a senior at the University of Central Missouri and will graduate with a BFA in graphic design in May 2025. Throughout his time at school, he has participated in various internships at a global architecture firm and design agency and engages in freelance projects between his studies. He has lived in Kansas City his whole life and has been pursuing design and illustration seriously since 2020, but he has loved illustration and storytelling for as long as he can remember.

Julianne Melograno

Julianne Melograno is a designer who loves branding, social media, and finding simple solutions for complex ideas. Her work is characterized by a clean, clever style that is full of personality. Submitting a FIFA poster design marked a career highlight for her—a love letter to Kansas City, a place that fuels her creativity.

Outside of design, Julianne is a collector of forgotten things—including mid-century ads, vintage ephemera, and bold food packaging—all of which influence her creative approach. When she’s not thrifting for the next great find, she can be found cooking, reading, or exploring Kansas City’s best coffee spots.

Tom Patrick

Tom Patrick is originally from Kentucky. After graduating from the Columbus College of Art & Design in Ohio, Tom moved to Kansas City to work in various creative departments for a number of years before starting out on his own as a freelance illustrator and designer. For more than twenty years, he has worked in Kansas City creating images for a variety of clients—regional, national and international.

Tom resides in Kansas City with his wife, who is also a freelance illustrator with a similar story. Their son has grown up there and works at a local creative firm. The FIFA World Cup 26™ Kansas City poster contest has been a fun project for Tom to be a part of. He is thrilled that his work was among the finalist designs because he knows what a strong creative community Kansas City has.

Eric Winter

Eric Winter is an Associate Professor of Graphic Design where he teaches a diverse range of subjects from design foundations to career preparation. Originally from a small farming community in North Central Kansas, he now resides in South Kansas City. Winter holds an MFA in Visual Communication from Kansas State University.

His professional experience encompasses roles as a civilian designer on Fort Riley Military Base, an environmental graphic designer for a global architecture firm, and a freelance brand designer. Winter’s professional work and research into design pedagogy have received recognition and publication both regionally and internationally, and he has held esteemed positions on multiple boards.

Chandler Johnson (Moderator)

Chandler Johnson is a distinguished Art Director at the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and the President of AIGA Kansas City. With over a decade of experience in the creative industry, Chandler has honed his expertise in graphic design, videography, audio, and web design. His innovative approach and commitment to excellence have made significant impacts in each of these fields.

Chandler's passion for communication and design is not confined to his professional roles. He has also shared his knowledge as a Communication and Speech instructor at Illinois State University and the University of Missouri at Kansas City, shaping the next generation of professionals.

Beyond his work at the Chamber of Commerce, Chandler is the creator behind the Pick Progress project. This six-year initiative has celebrated the Black experience through diverse artistic expressions, featuring over 100 designers from around the globe. The project's success was recognized on Kickstarter, where it was highlighted as a 'Project We Love' in 2020.

In 2024, Chandler joined the KC2026 Host City Poster Taskforce, where he and other committee members deliberated on the poster competition rules and decided on the finalists for Kansas City’s 2026 World Cup poster.