Tara Swinford

Tara Swinford is a Senior Graphic Designer and Illustrator at the Virginia Economic Development Partnership since February 2020. Previously, Tara worked as a Creative Consultant at Brainchild Design Studio, LLC from May 2017 to January 2023, and as an Exhibits Designer for the Smithsonian Institution, National Air and Space Museum from May 2018 to June 2019, designing graphics for exhibitions. As Creative Director at the Children's Museum of Richmond from April 2009 to July 2017, Tara transformed the museum's graphic output, overseeing numerous print, web, and exhibit projects. Early career highlights include serving as a Docent at Preservation Virginia and painting fine art prints at Old World Prints, Ltd. Tara also taught an introductory graphics class at Germanna Community College. Educational credentials include a BFA in Illustration & Graphic Design from Virginia Commonwealth University, an MFA in Children's and Adolescent Literature from Hollins University, and a BA in Fine Arts from Christopher Newport University.