Gary Zelley
arts marketing | creative content & community
Education
Eastern Michigan University, Bachelor of Arts - Theatre Arts, Marketing
Achievements
Summa Cum Laude | GPA: 3.94
HubSpot Inbound Marketing Certification
Professional Development
Drama/Theatre Education in Action for Peace, UNESCO Webinar
How to Create Accessible Social Media Posts, Webinar
Welcoming Your Audience Through Technology, League of American Orchestras
Skills
Adobe Creative Suite, Google Suite, Meta Business Suite, Microsoft 365, Canva, Notion, DotDigital, Asana, Figma, Filmora, Instagram, TikTok
Experience
Engagement Coordinator
Grand Teton Music FestivalMarketing Manager
EMU TheatreCoordinator
DTE’s Louie the Lightning Bug Program
recognition
Was highlighted by Eastern Michigan University President, Dr. Branden Kelly at Commencement on May 2, 2026
short-form content
Created 100+ short-form videos using story-driven content to engage audiences, contributing to 679K views, 46.8K accounts reached, and 18.2K content interactions.
graphics
Created graphics for seasonal staff and musicians at Grand Teton Music Festival to share across personal channels, including LinkedIn and Facebook. This content extended GTMF’s brand reach through employee networks, introduced the festival to new audiences and potential future employees, and celebrated the professional accomplishments of its seasonal staff.
E-newsletters via Dotdigital for events
Graphics for social media channels & branding
Poster design for Cabaret, designed using Adobe Illustrator
Program design for Cabaret, designed using Adobe InDesign & Photoshop
Integrated animated stickers for social platforms Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and more.
expand your palate
The perfect blend: connecting music lovers with good coffee, and connecting coffee lovers with good music.
This campaign is a direct invitation to young professionals, remote workers, students, and neighborhood residents (aka the typical coffeehouse crowd). Brand awareness doesn’t need to come from a billboard our intended audience passes by; it can be built through products and partnerships we know our audiences already enjoy.
The included mockup is not reflective of an actual collaboration, but rather an example of what a collaboration like this could look like. The intent is not to distract from the partner’s branding, but to illustrate what a physical manifestation of this mutually beneficial partnership could look like.
about
My fascination with live performance grew after seeing The Nutcracker at the Whiting Center in Flint, Michigan. Since then, I have spent more than a decade developing my skills as a performer, an experience that ultimately led me toward arts marketing.
I see marketing not only as promotion but also as another form of storytelling and connection. Through creating content on social media, I have the opportunity to shine a light on others and bring their stories, experiences, and artistry to new audiences. My background in performance has given me firsthand knowledge of the artistic, collaborative process, while my marketing experience allows me to scale stories to wider audiences.
I am passionate about expanding access to artistic experiences, including through social media, which enables us to meet audiences whenever and wherever they are.
contact
short-form content
Boots & a Brass Quintet
Through a collaboration between GTMF and the Jackson Hole Rodeo, this video brings two distinct audiences together through music. The content creates a connection between music and the local rodeo community, engaging audiences across both organizations.
Minotaur in Action
Early rehearsal footage featuring the show's Minotaur puppet brought audiences behind the scenes of fight choreography, sparking conversation and building anticipation for the production. Its short-form format made it highly shareable, becoming one of the most-viewed pieces of content I produced during the show's run.
Minotaur Roadtrip
While representing EMU Theatre at the Michigan Thespians Festival, I made a TikTok of our Minotaur puppet (from The Lightning Thief) being transported. It became a festival highlight, and the video tied that memorable image directly to our social channel. The result was an extension of EMU Theatre's brand reach well beyond the event itself.
insights
Strategy
At a recruitment event, prospective students interacted with EMU Theatre's Minotaur puppet. After seeing strong audience response to earlier Minotaur rehearsal content, I recognized the character as a strong visual hook and created content that brought the in-person experience into the digital space.Results
The recruitment TikTok became the most-viewed video on the profile, reaching 7.6K views and 36 saves. Its 0.47% save rate was the highest among the profile's five most-viewed videos, suggesting the content had value beyond its initial viewing.Insight
Rather than treating social media as a standalone promotional channel, I used audience response to inform content decisions and extend in-person audience experiences into digital spaces.
Mic'd at Rehearsal
An example of leveraging a high-performing content format (trendy mic'd videos) to build excitement for an upcoming production. The final video resonated with current theatre students, the broader campus community, and prospective students by offering an entertaining, student-centered perspective.
What's Your Rehearsal Face
A simple short-form trend featuring cast members from The Rocky Horror Show that encouraged participation and resonated across multiple audience groups, including cast and department members, university students, and families.
It's Time for Dancing Heels!
Footage from rehearsal for The Rocky Horror Show made for engaging short-form content.
user generated content
Below are two examples of user-generated content I coordinated during the department's summer off-season. By highlighting theatre students participating in department-related opportunities, this content kept our social channels active while giving prospective students an authentic look at student life beyond the academic year. Featuring real students made the content especially engaging and relatable. The first example performed particularly well and was shared by the university's official social media channels.
about
My fascination with live performance grew after seeing The Nutcracker at the Whiting Center in Flint, Michigan. Since then, I have spent more than a decade developing my skills as a performer, an experience that ultimately led me toward arts marketing.
I see marketing not only as promotion but also as another form of storytelling and connection. Through creating content on social media, I have the opportunity to shine a light on others and bring their stories, experiences, and artistry to new audiences. My background in performance has given me firsthand knowledge of the artistic, collaborative process, while my marketing experience allows me to scale stories to wider audiences.
I am passionate about expanding access to artistic experiences, including through social media, which enables us to meet audiences whenever and wherever they are.