Description
Graphic artist James Currie has been known to take his work home with him, sometimes editing hours of video down to mere minutes, other times ruminating on ideas and designs as he drifts off to sleep. Often, he said, the best ideas emerge from his dreams.
A Scoutmaster and a Saints fan, he can tie a square knot, a clove hitch and a cowboy lariat without breaking a sweat. The long-time graphic artist worked for Alabama’s oldest public health agency since the summer of 2007. Along with the traditional signs he’s created for MCHD, Currie’s work is splashed across billboards and brochures for public health campaigns that range from teen pregnancy prevention to the battle to take smoke and put it out.
Currie has won several state awards for his work, including for promotional pieces created for the Just Breathe Smoke-Free Mobile County campaign. The Boy Scout Troop #113 he leads in Saraland also has been recognized twice in recent years for their excellence. A recycling effort initiated by Currie’s troop has seen some 30 tons of paper redirected from landfills.
Currie grew up in Biloxi, Miss., and earned a bachelor of Fine Art degree from the University of South Alabama. Along the way, he’s done some breakdancing, BMX free-styling and even worked as the mascot Puck, a green dragon who entertained fans during Mobile Mysticks ice hockey games.
In his spare time, he’s writing a children's book, encouraging others to recycle, and hoping that everyone will eventually pick up on the 12 points of Scouting. On a recent afternoon he recited the Scout Law. “A scout is,” he said, “trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.”
