Our Studio
Principal & Lead Designer
Sally Wern Comport
began her commercial art career at the age of 15, drawing Ethan Allen furniture illustrations for her dad's advertising agency. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from the Columbus College of Art and Design followed by a graduate degree from Syracuse University. Comport co-founded W/C Studio Inc. in 1986 and has continued to own and operate her own illustration and design studio since, expanding this application to large-scale graphics and public art with the conception of Art at Large, Inc. in 2003.
Sally defines herself as a visual problem solver above all else, working collaboratively with clients and fabricators to understand the assignment, and immersing herself in research to develop the right aesthetic and application. She continues to foster her prolific body of work as an illustrator in the publishing industry, earning such honors as the Society of Illustrators Gold Medal, the Christopher Award, the Américas Award for Children's & Young Adult Literature, the Flora Stieglitz Straus Award, and Best Children's Book of the Year from Bank Street College, amongst others. See more Illustration Press here.
Sally remains an active member of the community as co-founder and curator of the non-profit public art initiative ArtWalk and is part of the conglomerate Circle Creatives within the Annapolis Arts District. Comport has lent her expertise in arts and culture to local economic development and tourism initiatives, as well as educational programs at Maryland Institute College of Art, Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, and Studio 39. Sally served on the Board of Directors for Providence of Maryland for 10 years and continues to contribute through steering the Taylor Comport Scholarship & Professional Development Fund.
Sally is represented by Shannon Associates in New York City. An extended bibliography and CV is available upon request.
Contact Sally at sally@artatlargeinc.com.
Studio Manager & Designer
Lindsay Bolin Lowery
graduated in 2010 Cum Laude from Maryland Institute College of Art with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Illustration, joining team Art at Large shortly after. Lindsay is infinitely curious and always ready for the task at hand, greasing the wheels as project manager and admin, while also contributing creative insight to each project.
She continues to build on Art at Large, Inc.’s offerings by expanding her skills in motion graphics, animation, and film production. Recent projects include a 20-minute film for the exhibit Transformations: Contemporary Art at Winterthur as well as a fully animated book trailer for Sally’s forthcoming picture book Hiding in Plain Sight.
Lindsay is active in the arts community as an illustrator and teacher through her creative studio LBo Craft, and is inspired by life in the Chesapeake Bay region where she resides with her family.
Contact Lindsay at lindsay@artatlargeinc.com.
Marketing & Philanthropy
Olivia Comport Kelly
has supported Art at Large throughout the years, providing her impeccable project management skills to some of the studio’s most substantial exhibitions, including Mount Vernon: An American Icon and Jacqueline Kennedy and H.F. du Pont: From Winterthur to the White House. In her current role as marketing support, Olivia brings fresh ideas to the table for our studio’s role in the larger experiential design industry, as well as our impact on the local community.
Olivia, along with her husband Michael Kelly Jr., oversees fundraising and leadership of the Taylor Comport Scholarship & Professional Development Fund in partnership with Providence of Maryland, for which Olivia serves on the Board of Directors.
Chief Financial Officer & Business Strategies
Allan Comport
has worked in the commercial art industry as an advocate, artist representative, creative director, and educator for 40+ years. Allan shares his expertise in best business practices, project management, and marketing for artists and creative businesses throughout his many professional roles.
Allan has been a full-time faculty member of the Undergraduate Illustration program at Maryland Institute College of Art since 2002, serving as Department Chair from 2016–2023. Allan has also taught at Ringling College of Art & Design. He has worked with scores of notable illustrators, photographers, and designers in a wide variety of ad agencies, design firms, magazines, newspapers, publishers, and corporations internationally in his roles as an artist representative at Shannon Associates and C.O.O of Blue Pixel.
Allan has been a guest lecturer for Adobe, the Illustrators Conference, and the Fulbright Student Program.
Contact Allan at acomport@mica.edu.
Our Partners
Charles Mack
Museum Planning Exhibition Design
Charles “Chuck” Mack, owner and principal designer of Charles Mack Design, has been involved in the field of architectural and exhibition design for over forty years.
Major projects include work for the Smithsonian Institution, The Walters Art Museum, The Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum, The Cleveland Museum of Art, George Washington’s Mount Vernon, and The Art Institute of Chicago. In addition, he has been involved in the design and installation of several international traveling exhibitions from The State Russian Museum, The State Bureau of Cultural Relics of the People’s Republic of China, The Musée National des Chateaux de Versailles, The Museo del Prado and the Patrimonio Nacional and The State Art Collections Dresden.
Shannon Associates
Premier Illustration & Artist Representation
Shannon Associates, a premier creative and literary management agency, serves the needs of clients in publishing, advertising, entertainment, design, architecture, and tech.
Representing a wide range of talent from contemporary to traditional, young breakouts to award-winning veterans, the unique creatives at Shannon reach across a wide spectrum of techniques and styles, specialties, and visions. From best-selling children’s books to global ads, movies to murals, from magazines to the latest virtual worlds, our group of top-talented individuals have their pulse on the ever-evolving culture of the creative economy.
Their work speaks for itself, having been honored with every coveted award available in the commercial art field. The artists, illustrators, and authors are a representation of virtually every background, story, and region around the world. Shannon is made up of a diversity of talent with each artist bringing their unique voice and authentic touch to every client project.
Chuck Walsh
ArtWalk, Circle Creatives, & The Taylor Comport Scholarship & Professional Development Fund
Charles “Chuck” Walsh has been a champion for artists and the arts community of Annapolis for many years. Chuck brings his knowledge of law from his past life as an attorney to his current pursuit of public art and artist-friendly real estate projects, including Circle Creatives in the Annapolis Arts District. (The headquarters of Art at Large studio.)
Chuck co-founded ArtWalk, a 501-c3 public art initiative, with Sally in 2007, introducing large-scale public artworks to the historic City of Annapolis as part of the Charter 300 Celebration. In working with Lassie Belt and the young artists of the Stanton Community Center, ArtWalk further harnessed collaboration to maximize impact and enhance its mission. ArtWalk has partnered with incredible community organizations and entities including Light House Homeless Prevention Support Center, Anne Arundel County Public Schools, Brightview Senior Living, Bates Senior Activity Center, VisionWorkshops, and Providence of Maryland.
As a steady advocate and supporter of Providence of Maryland throughout the years, Chuck helped lay the foundation for the Taylor Comport Scholarship & Professional Development Fund alongside the Comport family.
Learn more and support the great work of this fund below.
The Taylor Comport Scholarship & Professional Development Fund
provides tuition assistance and career development opportunities for the staff of Providence of Maryland. This initiative helps them grow professionally and personally while continuing to provide the best possible support to the nearly 400 people who count on Providence of Maryland.
This fund has been established by the Comport family and their friends in memory of their daughter Taylor who Providence supported for 13 years, and in honor of the staff who worked with Taylor and who were so important to Taylor and her family.