About Us

Kevin Winters was trained to create great art, not just to exhibit it. He began his museum career as preparator and installer for art objects at the St. Louis Art Museum where he worked with paintings, objects and textile conservators.  He has experience in architectural restoration, including murals and carvings, as well as interior detailing. He has worked with painting and object conservators in St. Louis, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and Phoenix. In the 1990s, Kevin was appointed Creative Director at the prestigious Heard Museum. During his tenure, he was responsible for oversight of the Design Department and managed architectural programming, design, budgeting, curatorial collaboration, outsourcing and project management of award-winning exhibitions. After founding Ganymede Design Group in 1995, Kevin expanded his work to include a variety of new clients as well as continuing his association with the Heard, for which he guided the architectural and design teams responsible for a major expansion in 1997 and then again for the major remodel and exhibition design that would result in the installation of a reinterpreted permanent collection (HOME). This highly-effective collaboration of facilitating the relationship between consulting architects, designers and the client’s own in-house design management and curatorial teams is the hallmark of his design philosophy.  He continues to design beautiful and thoughtful environments and experiences for adults and children around the world and to make paintings and sculpture.

Dr. Susan Shaffer Nahmias is an Interpretive Planner who has spent over 30 years working with museums and cultural organizations to develop exhibits and programs that engage and inform diverse audiences. Since initiating her consulting practice in 1988, she has served a wide variety of organizations as planner, curator, writer, educator and instructional designer. In 2001, Dr. Shaffer Nahmias was appointed Chief Curator for the Muhammad Ali Center where she oversaw the development and installation of 24,000 square feet of multimedia exhibits as well as serving as primary researcher and writer. Earlier in her career, she headed the educational services division of the Heard Museum, Phoenix, and served as Assistant Curator of Education at the Michigan Historical Museum in Lansing, Michigan. She has also held adjunct faculty positions at Arizona State University and Mesa Community College.  Dr. Shaffer Nahmias has numerous publications and professional presentations to her credit. She has earned awards from the Association of Educational Communications and Technology, State of Arizona, American Association of Museums, American Association for State and Local History and Michigan Museums Association.

Nancy Chalue Jones brings a unique expertise to the creative team with over 30 years of experience in design for children’s museums, educational institutions, and as a consultant on child development and education. Nancy is a champion of developmentally appropriate exhibits for children. She brings passion for creating engaging exhibits that honor the child’s curiosity, innate sense of wonder, and boundless imagination. Her contagious enthusiasm, attention to detail and dedication to creating whimsical environments that inspire meaningful learning are admired both here and abroad.

As the founding Director of Exhibits at the Children’s Museum of Phoenix, Nancy led the extraordinary design, fabrication and installation teams to create sixteen innovative exhibit areas, including the award winning Schuff-Perini Climber.  Nancy is a critical partner in the creative process and an advocate for actively engaging young children in developmentally-appropriate learning.  Nancy continues to consult on design teams for climbing sculptures, innovative exhibits, and creative learning environments in China, Curacao, Chicago, and the Middle East.

A graduate of Wheelock College in Boston, Nancy has presented workshops at professional conferences across the U.S. and in China focusing on child development in the exhibit gallery, the importance of risk for children, play as a means of learning, science for children and for teachers of children, and creating informal learning environments that engage and cultivate the minds, muscles, and imaginations of children.

Janet Cantley is a curator with over 30 years’ experience in museums, working with collections and developing exhibitions. She is committed to finding new artists, expanding community voice, and engaging diverse audiences. Much of her career, including 22 years at the Heard Museum, she focused on interpretation of untold histories, such as the removal of the Chiricahua Apache from Arizona in 1886 and their imprisonment for 27 years. As a curator, she has served on various Board committees—Collections, Exhibition Planning, and Program Committees—and she taught docent and public classes. Recently, she managed a project on federally operated American Indian Boarding Schools, resulting in a renovated exhibition, Away From Home: American Indian Boarding School Stories, a micro-website, publication of a special edition of the Journal of American Indian Education and a traveling exhibit. The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) selected Away From Home for one of their NEH on the Road shows, which will go to 23 cities across the United States for five years. In 2020 the exhibition was presented an Award of Excellence by the American Association for State and Local History.

Eric learned the basics while studying Graphic Design at Arizona State University. After graduating, he worked his way up the ranks in some of Phoenix’s most recognizable design studios, and on some of the country’s most recognizable brands, including Audi of America, Dell Webb and Celebrity Cruise Lines. Eric took a 7-year break from the studio life to take the position as Senior Graphic Designer for the Heard Museum. Not to forget his roots, Eric has kept one foot in the world of academia, teaching undergraduate and graduate classes in typography, exhibit design, information design and interactive design at ASU.

In 2000, he set out on his own , Eric has helped bring success to a variety of clients; from artists and architects to pharmaceutical companies and real estate developers. And while collateral, annual reports and exhibit design are well within his comfort zone, Eric’s greatest strengths are interactive media and identity work. For over twenty years, his greatest asset has been the unique ability to bring both creativity and logic to every project.

Most recently, Eric was creative manager at the Musical Instrument Museum, designing 200,000 square feet of exhibits. While at the MIM, he also developed and implemented the museum’s website, created corporate identity materials, and designed various museum publications and advertisements.

Lisa MacCollum has been designing print and exhibition graphics since 1981, when she began working for McHorney & Associates as a graphic designer. In 1984, she joined the staff of the Heard Museum where she was responsible for the design and production of the entire range of museum communications media: interpretive graphics for permanent, changing and traveling exhibitions; publications such as catalogs, fliers and brochures; signage and wayfinding; and the vital curatorial collaboration that is fundamental to creating beautiful and effective materials. In addition, she coordinated the Museum’s traveling exhibition program while serving as point person for a complex multi-year, multi-gallery exhibit implementation plan.  As Heard Museum Creative Director, Lisa not only served as lead designer but managed the consulting, design and construction teams for an ambitious program of new construction and renovation. Her knowledge of the everchanging fields of publishing, graphics production, construction and exhibit fabrication makes her an integral member of design teams for cultural, academic and interpretive venues. In 2006, Lisa founded LisaMacStudio which focuses primarily on the design of exhibition graphics, publications, print collateral and wayfinding/signage packages. She is an accomplished watercolorist and recently illustrated her first book for young adults.

John Montiel has been developing and designing programs since 1982. As a software architect for a Fortune 500 company for 23 years, he deployed systems across the technology spectrum. John is a creative, bright and forward thinking professional. He is prolific in the development and implementation of new technologies and he continually demonstrates the communication skills and design sensibility required to work through the creative process. He is a leader in collaborative situations and his ability to think critically and express himself is evidenced in his work. John is currently designing iPhone and iPad applications.