Stew “Buckets” aimed to unite the Eastern Iowa artist and photography community through Instameets, where individuals of all ages, including artists and photographers, could meet, improve their photography skills, and explore various locations.

Stew reached out to me in 2015 to design a logo based on Linn County's area code 319 and the surrounding area with a nod to exploring Iowa's urban cityscapes and local parks. The grungy spray-painted aesthetic fit his vision and was designed for the profile picture space on Instagram.

These meetups, which started small, have now grown into a large community. Many people have spoken about the long-lasting friendships that originated from Stew's vision to bring people together, regardless of whether they use a mobile phone or a professional camera.

Check out the community @319illgrammers or the official hashtag #319illgrammers.