Born: Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico
Artist's Professional Statement: I am seasoned game design and web development professional with a blend of creative, technological, project management, and leadership skills. I have a passion for creative technology where it intersects with education, entertainment, and social change.
Born in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, Jose (“JR”) Rodriguez grew up in New York City and has called Buffalo home since 2001. Inspired by the classic coin-op games of the 8-bit era, JR been making digital art and coding original games since the early 80’s. A graduate of F.I.T., his work has been featured in Communication Arts and PRINT magazine, and has been shown a number of art galleries in Buffalo and NYC. As curator of SP@CE224 Gallery, JR coordinated “8BIT Buffalo“ a yearly celebration of classic video game art and music. Presently he is working for the Discover Channel as a Senior Software Engineer, as well as being the sole proprietor of JRVisuals, a creative technology studio focused on creating playful experiences for advertising, education, and social transformation. Jose lives in the Elmwood Village with his two sons and their cat Hamilton. When he’s not making art or coding games he likes to sit in meditation, study Tibetan Buddhism, and listen to live music.
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