Born as the tenth of eleven children, Alyssa Banks has always had a vivid imagination. The imagination she cherished so deeply as a child gave birth to a world of creativity that only she knew existed. At the age of 12, she drew her first portrait and fascinated herself with her ability to duplicate what was placed in front of her. As her gift of art developed, Alyssa found herself entering into the different aspects of art—graphic design seemed to grab her attention the most.
Alyssa attended Elizabeth City State University and graduated in December 2011 with a Bachelor of Science in Graphic Design. Shortly after graduation, she went on to work for the United States Coast Guard as a technical illustrator for the production line manuals. In January 2014, Alyssa returned to school and in April 2015 received her MFA in Media Design from Full Sail University. She graduated valedictorian of her class.
Alyssa’s main goal as an artist is to prove that every artist is not an artist simply because they cannot do anything else. Artists have a gift to see what others don’t and believe in what others cannot see. When asked what she hopes to accomplish as an artist, she always replies, ”My clothes don’t match all the time. I talk with my hands a lot. I wear rain boots even when it’s not raining. I’m Alyssa. I don’t want to change who I am, but I do plan to break the glass ceiling—proving that creativity and sophistication can co-exist.”
Alyssa currently resides in Elizabeth City, North Carolina with her husband, Kendal, and their daughter, Gracen.