Jon Micah Tyson

Education

• M.F.A., Graphic Design, Mississippi College
• M.Ed., Art Education, Mississippi College
• 2D Animation Certification, Art Institute of Pittsburgh
• B.S., Art, Mississippi College

Jon Micah Tyson teaches and provides leadership for programs in graphic design, digital media, animation, visual storytelling, creative processes, and professional development. His courses have included Graphic Design Processes, Design Firm Processes, Character and Object Design, Concepts and Storyboards, Animation, Portfolio and Résumé Development, and Perspectives on Creativity and Art. His ongoing curriculum development focuses on graphic design, animation, visual storytelling, professional practice, portfolio development, and interdisciplinary art and design education.

Mr. Tyson contributed to the development and implementation of Belhaven’s B.A. in Tradigital Studies, an interdisciplinary degree integrating traditional studio practice with graphic design, digital media, photography, animation, and emerging technologies. He also developed the university’s Minor in Animation, which provides focused study in animation, character design, visual storytelling, and digital media.

Since 2016, Jon Micah Tyson has also served as Co-Founder, Art Director, Artist, and Graphic Designer for Tortugas Games LLC, an independent tabletop game studio specializing in immersive, narrative-driven games. His creative practice encompasses art direction, illustration, graphic design, character and environment design, visual identity, interface design, packaging, print production, worldbuilding, and product development. As Co-Creator and Art Director of Red Tides: A Tale of New Caribbea, he developed the game’s visual identity and illustrated world, including its characters, creatures, environments, ships, iconography, interface systems, game components, packaging, promotional materials, and visual storytelling.

Portfolio Website

Selected Areas of Creative Practice

• Art Direction
• Graphic Design
• Illustration
• Brand Identity
• Character Design
• Concept Art
• Visual Development
• Tabletop Game Design
• Game Art
• Interface Design
• Typography
• Packaging
• Animation
• Visual Storytelling
• Worldbuilding
• Creative Direction

Selected Professional Design Projects

• Cryogenic Studios – Lennie - Character Design, Concept Art, Illustration, Animation, and 2D Game Assets
• New Music Jackson Festival - Event Identity, Graphic Design, and Promotional Design
• Mississippi Wildlife Federation - Brand Identity and Graphic Design
• Studio B Wealth - Brand Identity, Web Design, and Digital Design
• Noir Woods - Big Black River Hunting Camp - Brand Identity, Logo Design and Illustration

Exhibitions

• 2024 Drawing Connections - Millsaps College, Jackson, Mississippi, Group Exhibition
• 2023 ArtWORK: Belhaven Art and Design Faculty Exhibition - Bitsy Irby Gallery, Belhaven University, Jackson, Mississippi, Faculty Group Exhibition
• 2021 Red Tides - Bitsy Irby Gallery, Belhaven University, Jackson, Mississippi, Solo Graduate Exhibition
• 2020 Mississippi College Art Competition - Mississippi College, Clinton, Mississippi, Juried Group Exhibition, Exhibited Inexorable Flow
• 2005 to 2007 Annual Graduate Student Showcase Competition - Mississippi College, Clinton, Mississippi, Annual Juried Graduate Student Exhibitions
• 2001 to 2004 Annual Student Showcase Competition - Mississippi College, Clinton, Mississippi, Annual Juried Undergraduate Student Exhibitions

Awards and Honors

• 2020 First Place, Graphic Design - Mississippi College Art Competition, Mississippi College, Clinton, Mississippi
  Inexorable Flow

Invited Presentations, Conferences, and Industry Events

• 2026 BackerKit Creator Webinar and Live Q&A – BackerKit, Co-presenter with Nick Raynor
• 2025 Red Tides Teach and Play - Gen Con, Indianapolis, Indiana, Co-presented with Nick Raynor
• 2024 Drawing Connections - Millsaps College, Jackson, Mississippi
• 2021 Red Tides Gallery Talk - Bitsy Irby Gallery, Belhaven University, Jackson, Mississippi
• 2021 Red Tides: Creative Process Master Class - Belhaven University, Jackson, Mississippi
• 2017 to Present PAX Unplugged - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• 2019 "The Art of Gaming" - MERGE Conference, Belhaven University, Jackson, Mississippi
• 2018 "Authentic Process" - MERGE Conference, Belhaven University, Jackson, Mississippi
• 2012 Cryogenic Studios Presents: Lennie - Southern Mississippi Programmers Guild, Hattiesburg, Mississippi

Selected Media, Interviews, and Podcasts

• 2026 Board Games Are Back With Mississippi's Tortugas Games, Our Mississippi Home
• 2025 Good Things with Rebecca Turner
• 2025 The Two-Promises Podcast: The Story Behind Tortugas Games
• 2025 Have a Seat With Amanda Lee
• 2024 Belhaven Art Professor Launches New Board Game: Red Tides
• 2021 Faculty Exhibition Incorporates Art, Design, and Board Games
• 2020 Belhaven University is One of the First to Offer New Tradigital Degree

Academic and Professional Leadership

• Co-Chair, Art + Design Department, Belhaven University
• Co-Host, MERGE Conference, Belhaven University
• Consultant and Jury Member, Madison County Schools Career & Technical Center
• P.E.C. Liaison, Belhaven University
• Faculty Advisor, The Round Table, Belhaven University
• Faculty Advisor, Belhaven Gaming Club, Belhaven University