BIO

Janessa Rivera is a Chicago-based graphic designer with extensive experience in the cannabis retail industry. Until spring 2024, she served as the Visual Merchandiser and Graphic Designer for a chain of dispensaries in Illinois, where she played a pivotal role in developing branding strategies, marketing deliverables, and in-store visual merchandising for multiple locations.

Rivera holds a BA in Art, Media, and Design with a minor in Business from a private Chicago university. Her multimedia practice integrates art and design, with a strong emphasis on narrative drawings and digital illustration.

As a freelance artist, Rivera's original paintings, prints, and other works have been featured at prominent locations during pop-up events and group exhibitions, including Hairpin Studios, The Promontory, The DePaul Art Museum, and Chop Shop First Ward. She has also designed the logo and hand-printed stickers for Bianca’s Bodega, a business located in Revival Hall. Her mural work includes assisting with various citywide projects and leading the design and execution of three murals for Chicago’s Urban Space food hall.

Rivera is passionate about collaborating with local artists on large-scale productions and continues to explore innovative ways to combine her artistic vision with strategic design solutions.