About Lynne
Designer • Artist • Writer • Educator
Powered by Insight and Big Heart Energy
My name is Lynne Rennie — a graphic designer, design educator, and creative instigator with a focus on brand strategy and packaging design. I help shape ideas into clear, functional outcomes that connect with people and make sense in the real world. I’ve worked across studios, classrooms, and collaborative teams, always bringing curiosity, sharp thinking, and big heart energy.
Whether I’m teaching, writing, building a brand, or untangling a tricky brief, I’m all in—with a collaborative spirit, strategic optimism, and the occasional well-timed joke. At home, I enjoy an active life in Calgary, Alberta, Canada with my family, four dogs, and a rabbit.
Education
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Master of Professional Studies in Branding (MPS Branding), School of Visual Arts, New York, NY.
Recipient of the “Lauren Zaleski MVP Award,” presented to the top-performing student who exemplifies excellence.
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Bachelor of Communication Design (BDes),
Nova Scotia College of Art & Design University, Halifax, NS.
Recipient of the Joseph Beuys Scholarship for Creative Excellence.
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Bachelor of Fine Art in Painting (BFA),
Nova Scotia College of Art & Design University, Halifax, NS.
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Bachelor of English (BA), University of Calgary, Calgary, AB.
Experience
2016 to Present
Instructor, Alberta University of the Arts
Courses taught: Advanced Graphic Design: Brand, Advanced Graphic Design: Packaging, Advertising 1, Design Processes, Design Fundamentals, and Introduction to Design.
2021 to Present
Design Director, G. L. Black Holdings
Brand Management, Design, Communications, Strategy, Events.
2010 to 2021
Design Director, Cococo Chocolatiers
Brand Strategy and Design, Packaging, Website, Social Media, CRM, Signage and Wayfinding, Retail Design & Merchandising,
Previously
Getty Images - Seattle
EyeWire Inc. - Calgary
Karo Design - Calgary
HarperCollins Publishers - New York
Press
CBC.ca
Degrassi, MuchMusic and the North American house hippo: Artist draws 100 symbols of Canadiana"
Rukhsar Ali interviewed me about my Drawn to Canada Project. Published June 30, 2025.
I was a guest on Craig Baird's Canadian History Ehx podcast "The 1988 Calgary Olympics" episode reminiscing about my experiences at the games. Posted Feb 3, 2026.
PRINT Magazine
"Drawn to Canada': 100 Days by Lynne Rennie"
My work was featured in PRINT Magazine, December 15, 2025.
CBC Radio World Report
National CBC Radio news program "World Report" featured my project in their hourly news on July 1, 2025. The segment is titled "Calgary artist explores the symbols of a shared Canadian identity".
CBC Video
"From classic symbols like the beaver, to more niche Canadian references like bagged milk, Calgary-based artist Lynne Rennie is piecing together a "cultural mosaic" of Canadian-ness — one drawing at a time."
