Emile Henriquez, a native of New Orleans, is widely known for his artistic skills. An accomplished cartoonist, children's book illustrator, graphic designer, and calligrapher, he has received awards and international recognition for his commercial illustrations. Henriquez had the honor of designing the insignia for the U.S.S. Louisiana, the last Trident submarine built for the U.S. Navy. The design is now housed in the Louisiana State Museum in the French Quarter. As a graphic designer, he has created more than three thousand T-shirts for silkscreen printing.
The illustrator's first break into the art business came through a job with Ad Sales, a local New Orleans printing shop, where his knowledge of commercial art grew extensively. He began perfecting his calligraphic skills and hand lettering with pens while working at an advertising agency. At Boeing Company, Henriquez quickly became the fastest letterer and received a “zero defects” award, an honor given to those who produce an enormous volume of artistic material without any errors. Later he was able to utilize all of his creative and artistic talents with projects at Textron Marine and Land Systems. He bridged fine and commercial art together, creating motivational posters, designing ads for newsletters and magazines, and fashioning kiosks for the company's trade shows.
Henriquez graduated from John McCrady Art School with a degree in fine and commercial art. He attended Tulane University College where he studied drawing, painting, and art history. Though he is retired, the illustrator keeps busy teaching art classes at the University of New Orleans. He also spends his days as a school crossing guard and volunteers his time for charitable causes. He lives with his wife, Mary Ann, in Slidell, Louisiana. They have five children, twenty grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
|