Natalie Derr
Creative Technologist Program Lead
Artist and ever learning creative, Natalie Derr (she/they), works at the intersection of digital media and traditional studio practices. Grounded in her training in Digital Studio Practice and Painting & Drawing at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, she is passionately curious about our diverse imaginations and exercising empathy through the sharing of artwork. As Lead Creative Technologist at Islands of Brilliance, she aims to cultivate spaces where joy, experimentation, and technology converge to empower neurodivergent students.
Outside of IOB, you can find Natalie taking a long, grounding bike ride, collaborating on bus stop murals created with Debra Gillespie through Mothers Against Gun Violence, finding new ways to celebrate and support the Milwaukee community, and skipping rocks with the people she loves. Her curious spirit keeps her wandering around the world through travel, learning that creativity is a universal language expressed through infinite variations.