Born and raised on pizza in Biddeford, Maine, Steph Mantis is a designer, educator, and creative consultant. Her work focuses on creating products that add a sense of play and humor to everyday objects.
I studied industrial design at Pratt Institute and glass design at the Danish Design School.
Most of my products are currently produced and distributed by Kikkerland.
Ultimately, I aim to create value. I believe there is value in play and humor, and hope to inject those ideas into common, everyday objects.
I grew up off the coast of southern Maine, where my family owns a pizzeria. As a result, I have a unique interest and genuine appreciation of the food. Through my exploration of pizza as object/culture (see "Forever Pizza"), I have had the pleasure of connecting to a number of extremely wonderful people, including Brian Dwyer, founder of the World's First Pizza Museum, Mark and Jenny Bello, owners of NYC's premier pizza school, "Pizza a Casa," and Scott Wiener of Scott's Pizza Tours, for whom I designed the exhibition of his international collection of pizza boxes. He currently holds the Guinness World Record with over 1300 boxes and counting.
I am also an official ambassador for Slice Out Hunger, an organization that creates pizza-related events and campaigns around the United States to support local hunger relief initiatives through the American pizza community.
Slice Out Hunger has raised over $160,000 to fund hunger relief since its first event in 2009. The idea was simple: use food donated by independent pizzerias to raise money for a local hunger relief organization with a proven track record. Our first event featured fifty pizzas from six different pizzerias and raised about $500. Seven years later, we hosted New York's biggest pizza party featuring over 1,500 pizzas from fifty of the city's top pizzerias, raising $50,000 in just three hours. The annual event has become an institution in New York City and has inspired cities around the country to host similar fundraisers. The size of the party continues to grow, but the focus has always been to highlight independent pizzerias while supporting those in our community who have trouble affording food for themselves and their families.
Beyond pizza and design, I am interested in food at large, nutrition, sensory sciences, psychology, and photography. I train regularly in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, like wearing hats, and thoroughly enjoy meeting new people.
MAKE CONTACT:
If you would like to inquire about a project, propose a collaboration, tell me what animal you think you'd be and why, or just feel like saying hi, please do so!
email
steph@stephmantis.com
© 2010-2016 Stephanie Mantis
All rights reserved.
All work on this site is legit.
Don't be a jerk. Or my lawyers will eat you.
