#travishallmark

Maria works works as a contractor at a tech company, and also as an ad review agent with BC Forward. She is a true Austinite, born and raised. Maria studied photography at St. Edward’s University, and when she has a little free time from her day jobs she pursues a career as a photographer. The bus has always been Maria’s form of transportation, and she really enjoys the benefits of riding versus driving.

"I work as a master printer at Industry Print Shop. Most of the work that I do is graphic design-based.” Brian studied printmaking at the University of North Texas, and since then he’s worked as a printmaker and illustrator. “Recently I’ve been doing a lot of album cover work and pet portraits. I’m also a cyclist. I’m planning on doing a 545-mile ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles for AIDS awareness.”

Ron started out as a bouncer working in bars, but found that creating jewelry was more fulfilling than handling unruly customers. “I believe a lot of my work is directly influenced by my surroundings and my life experiences, both good and bad. The necklace I have on in my photo is one of my creations.” Ron uses the transit system frequently and thinks that it’s a great asset to any city.

“Mixed media is something I have always done, even as a child. I don't recall anyone ever sitting me down and saying, ‘This is how you do X and this is how you do Y, and if you do both it's called mixed media.’ In a lot of ways, the lack of limitations in mixed media work forces you to make choices, to find a way to focus in the riot of possibility. It's a different way of thinking about a surface.” David also finds there are few limitations in the Austin bus system. It has allowed for him to go virtually anywhere without having to use his car.

Sarah is one of the first Getty Images photographers in the Austin area—a relationship that is still going strong. “I also began working as the main photographer for the Austin Business Journal. This is where I discovered my real passion for travel and photography. The world is such an amazingly beautiful place and so are the people that are in it, and I want people to see the world how I see it.” Her passion for discovery is something she shares with her family close to home. They often take the train to get around town. “My kids get to see the city through a different lens than if they were just riding in a car.”

I am a theoretical physicist studying the quantum vacuum using the most powerful lasers in the world. The Texas Petawatt Laser at UT is currently able to pack the most energy into the smallest space and time of any laser in the US and Europe, and that means it creates the strongest electric and magnetic fields on Earth. The fields are so strong, they modify the quantum vacuum to help study the relationship between matter and vacuum. With our ongoing work, we will also be able to study and do experiments relevant to mysterious gravitational effects on the quantum vacuum, such as Hawking radiation.” His latest discovery? Austin’s mass transit system is an asset to his daily commute. 

Elliott published an online magazine, Austin on Two Wheels, from 2008-2012 which covered bike culture and bicycles as transportation. He has been a big player in providing better commuting opportunities for people throughout the city. Elliott worked closely with Capital Metro to create the bike share program. But when riding a bike isn’t possible, he finds the transit system has allowed his family to travel together to work and school. “With our compact urban core and fair climate, more people should be riding a bike for these short trips. I envision an Austin where 30-40% of people living and working in the core ride a bike on a regular basis.”  

Carrie is a graduate student at the University of Texas with a focus in art education. She spent time in Japan where the mass transit system is a must to get around. So she feels at home catching a bus on her way to help kids learn more about technology and the educational influence it can have. “I'd like to work with teens. I think it is a confusing but opportunistic age where they are figuring out where they fit, and what they want to do or be in this world. I want to be a guide and reveal how art can encourage their creative endeavors, or simply provide an outlet to the worries they might be facing.”