Big ideas made legible. Made by hand, made on screen, made to last.
About Meg
I’m Meg Hollister, founder of Studio 2 Makings. For over a decade I’ve designed learning experiences that make complex ideas clear, hands-on, and exciting, for kindergartners, teenagers, adult learners, and the institutions that serve them.
The work
In 2026 the National Wildlife Federation commissioned me to create an illustrated ecological corridor map of the Quad Cities, built from ArcGIS data and Illinois DNR endangered species records. I presented it alongside scientists and city leaders at its public debut and spoke about it on Quad City Arts’ Talking Art podcast on WVIK NPR. That same year, Quad City Arts funded Translating Nature, my ten-workshop environmental arts series, through its Arts Dollars grant.
The Learning Lab Bridge:
I bring over a decade of cutting-edge, creative and data-supported pedagogy and teaching experience to every session. I take something big and complicated, whether it’s fractions, a food web, or the logic behind a video game, and turn it into something your learner can build, hold, and understand. I understand that the best learning requires outside the box thinking, and am happy to create a unique and tailored experience for each student.
Who your learner is working with
- Licensed teacher. Illinois Professional Educator License. Master’s in Education, Applied Technology, University of Northern Colorado. BFA, St. Ambrose University.
- Game design, 3D, and animation specialist. Three years as a Game Design Instructor and Team Lead for a game design and coding education company (2021 to 2024), where I led curriculum development and trained new instructors. 8+ year teaching that content in Illinois, Iowa, Colorado, and Florida public, private, and homeschool environments.
Class exemplar combining 2d and 3 animation. Meghan Hollister 2024.
- 4+ years of robotics education experience.
- Program builder. Technology and Digital Arts Department Head at Rivermont Collegiate (2019 to 2021), writing K-12 STEM curriculum for a leading private STEM school in Iowa. Customized, game-based learning app developer since 2022.
- Classroom tested in core subjects. Middle and high school teacher in math, science, and language arts, including compacted algebra and challenges for advanced and twice exceptional learners.
- Trusted by institutions. Curriculum and programming for institutions such as The Putnam Museum, The Figge Art Museum, National Wildlife Federation, Quad City Arts, STEAM on Wheels, and Illinois Project Next Generation digital arts and animation programming at East Moline Public Library, The German American Heritage Museum, Bettendorf Public Library, and Moline Public Library.
- Backed by national and regional partners. National Wildlife Federation, Quad City Arts, The Putnam Museum, Quad City Arts, and more. Co-founder of Zola, the Midwest’s first eco-arts gallery (2012). Board member, Clean River Advisory Council.
Practice and recognition
- Commissioned artist. National Wildlife Federation ecological corridor map (2026). Permanent public murals in Davenport, Iowa.
- Exhibited regionally and internationally, most recently at Slip Gallery in Seattle (2025) and The Artery (2026).
- Funded. Quad City Arts Dollars grant for Translating Nature (2026), Illinois Project Next Generation grant for digital arts and animation programming (2026), Moline Youth Commission funding for environmental arts education (2026) and an earlier Arts Dollars grant for Riverdale Elementary’s Outdoor Sensory Classroom in 2014.
- Invited speaker. WVIK NPR’s Talking Art podcast, the NWF project’s public debut alongside scientists and city leaders, and two speaking invitations in 2026.
- Civic leadership. Board member, Clean River Advisory Council. Appointed member, Rock Island Arts Commission (2023 to 2024).
- 15+ years teaching, from figure drawing at The Figge Art Museum (2010 to 2014) to K-12 classrooms, museums, libraries, and online learners in every age group from kindergarten to adult.
What your learner gets
- A plan built around their goals and interests, written by a teacher who designs curriculum professionally.
- Sessions prepared with the same care I give an institutional commission.
- A short written progress note after every session, so you always know where things stand.
- Real work they can show: a skill mastered, a game played by friends, an animation shared with family.
If you want learning that feels intentional, rigorous, data-supported, and alive, let’s talk. Book a free fit call and tell me about your learner.
