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Saturday, June 14, 2025

Samples of work by Gary & Jason GarrettIllustrations by Gary Garrett, left, and a detail of "Dancing with Calypso," a sculpture by Jason Garrett.

A Legacy in Art & Design: Gary and Jason Garrett

 
Gary, right, and son Jason are smiling and wearing gray North Texas T-shirtsWhen Gary Garrett graduated from UNT in 1974 with a B.F.A. in Graphic Design, he never imagined that nearly five decades later, his son would walk the same stage. In 2023, Jason Garrett earned his B.F.A. in Studio Art with a concentration in Sculpture — a full-circle moment that fulfilled a shared dream between father and son.
 

Gary

Gary spent more than 45 years building a career as an art director and illustrator, designing for Fortune 500 corporations such as ARCO Oil and Gas, J.C. Penney, Electronic Data Systems, EDS, Fidelity Information Systems, Medical City Healthcare, and Xerox. One of his most unusual assignments took him to a frozen cave in Alaska, where he collaborated with a photographer to develop an educational website for EDS. Now retired, Gary still dabbles in freelance work, paints occasionally, and relishes time with family.
 
Gary Garrett facing forward. He is bald, wears glasses and a dark shirt.
Gary Garrett, Graphic Designer
He recalls UNT in the early 1970s, when the Art Building was a modest, two-story structure north of the Hurley Administration Building. By his junior year, the current Art Building had opened — modern, expansive, and a little intimidating. “It was a pristine space,” Gary remembers. “I worried about being the first one to spill paint on the floor.”
 

Jason

Jason took a less traditional path. “I’ve always known I was an artist,” he says, “even before I fully understood what that meant.” Over the years, he honed skills in everything from traditional blacksmithing and figurative sculpture to stop-motion puppet making and prop design. After leading teams in IT and retail, Jason paused his career to raise his first child — an experience that eventually led him back to school at UNT.
 
Jason Garrett in black and white looking to his right. He hair is pulled back and he has a beard.
Jason Garrett, Sculptor
Drawing inspiration from the fantasy worlds of Jim Henson, J.R.R. Tolkien, Melissa McPhail, and George Lucas, Jason’s art is rooted in the magical and surreal. He and his wife, self-described “geeks of the highest order,” are now raising two children in that same creative spirit.
 
Jason’s latest venture is Ghostlight Stage Design, a collaboration with creative partners providing technical theater consulting, imaginative set and prop design, digital backdrops, and scenic painting.
 
Together, Gary and Jason’s stories illustrate how creativity in a father and son can span generations — evolving with time, but rooted in passion, curiosity, and a shared connection to UNT.