You’re likely familiar with the painted logos of businesses like Ruby’s Bagels or murals like El Paletero in Walker’s Point.
But do you know the artist behind them?
Michael Cerda is a sign painter, graphic designer, Grammy Award-winning music producer and owner of Cerda Design Co.
He spoke with Lake Effect’s Xcaret Nuñez about how his upbringing in Milwaukee inspires and motivates his art.
This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Is there someone or something that sparked your creativity or interest in becoming an artist?
There are a few things that are really important. I think my environment as a kid really affected me choosing art. My parents are awesome. They really allowed me to explore that side of my brain a little bit. I have a memory where my dad would be on the phone talking to my grandparents back in Mexico, and he would sit me on his lap as he was on the phone, and he'd be doodling on a napkin — it was always like the side profile of a man's head — and I would wonder how is he doing that with this pen? As a little kid, it sparked my curiosity of “I want to do that.” So I took a pen to paper and started drawing, and I haven't stopped since. But again, going back to the environment that [my parents] provided for me — they encouraged me to pursue art. Obviously, they might have had some pushback when I got older, like, “Are you sure you want to do this? You can't make that much money,” but that's just them being good parents. They wanted the best for me, but I had to be a little bit of a stubborn individual and be like, “I got this.” So I think just a mixture of seeing my dad draw for the first time, and then having that safe environment to really pursue [art].
Some businesses that you've designed for include Ruby's Bagels, Ebb & Flow, Lilliput Records and Pete's Pops. Why do you think so many local businesses ask you to paint their signs?
For Ruby's Bagels, she [the owner] is my beautiful girlfriend, and my role in the business is to help with the design and the signs. She's given me the amazing opportunity to help create her brand, and a big part of it is the hand-painted signs. I think she appreciates the handmade element of my work. You know, she makes the hand-rolled bagels, so the hand-painted signs, it just kind of works really well. As far as my other clients, I think they just, again, appreciate the human touch, whereas, if you were to go with a vinyl sign, as clean and perfect as it is, there's not much story there. There's more of a story with a hand-painted sign, because it's not perfect. If you go up close to it, you'll notice that the lines aren't perfectly straight, the corners aren't perfectly sharp. I try to get them as sharp as possible, but there’s that human touch that you can’t replicate with vinyl. Also, when you go to any small business, you go because you know you're doing your part to help their business, and you're getting something unique in return. The same can be said with a hand-painted sign. You're helping my small business, and you're helping me keep moving forward, and I'm giving you this unique thing that's a one-of-one that can't be replicated. It's an honor, really, to be able to be a part of [a business owner’s] journey and their story. When I first started sign painting, that part didn't really click yet, but the more signs I did, I'm realizing, “Wow, I'm being given a huge responsibility,” because the sign is usually the first thing that people are going to see when they walk up to the business. So it's got to look good, and they're putting a lot of trust in me, and I take that very seriously.
You've also painted a few murals throughout the city. Your most recent mural was the El Paletero mural in Walker's Point. How did that opportunity come up, and what does the paletero symbolize for you?
That came up by connecting with Izzy Lugo, who works with the Milwaukee Brewers. I was connected to him through a really good friend of mine, Jesus Gonzalez, who is the owner of the Zócalo Food Truck Park. We were hanging out, and he told me there's an opportunity to work with the Brewers through Izzy. He said they're looking to do some murals, and I jumped on it right away… there's this idea that I had way before the Brewers [collaboration] of painting a paletero. First of all, I love the meaning behind it, the visual element, maybe because it taps into my childhood too. I just wanted to do a portrait-style painting of a paletero, but I never got around to doing it, never found the perfect location for it. So this Brewers thing came up, and it was the perfect opportunity to tie in everything about my childhood and this story into one mural. And I feel like Walker's Point is the perfect neighborhood for it. But I'd say the meaning and message behind it is to highlight hard-working immigrants — they're the unsung heroes of our community, you know? We see them walking by, and some of us will stop; I feel like I'm one to stop and buy a paleta and just keep it moving. Other people don't really pay attention, but the thing is, these people are out there day in, day out. They're working. They're grinding. That's a really strong message, and I think the combination of the Brewers logo that says Milwaukee with the paletero sitting on top of it, just felt like the perfect combination. You know, if you go up to the mural… and look up, it just makes it feel really powerful. I feel like it demands respect.
What do you think is special about designing and sign painting for a city like Milwaukee?
I feel like there's untapped potential here. I feel like a lot of creatives tend to go to other big cities to pursue art, music and all that, but I think staying here was really important [for me] because there are a lot of stories to be told here yet. So the untapped potential. I love the fact that I get to do my work here, because this is building up this city to be a creative hub. I want there to be cool hand-painted signs on all the businesses and murals everywhere. And I want to be able to say, "Yeah, I'm working with big artists and going for my second Grammy while still living in Milwaukee." So to me that that's really important.
You can visit Cerda’s website to learn more about his design and sign-painting services.
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