Gary Zelley
arts marketing | creative content & community
Education
Eastern Michigan University
Bachelor of Arts, Theatre Arts and Marketing, Suma Cum Laude
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
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
At Eastern Michigan University Theatre, I contributed to a 15% increase in mainstage attendance and 150% growth in sold-out performances while generating 679K social media views, 46.8K accounts reached, and 18.2K interactions. Click on the button below to check out some highlights!
campaign
The perfect blend: connecting music lovers with great coffee, and connecting coffee lovers with great music.
As a former Barista at Starbucks, I know how coffee (and perhaps tea) brings community together. This campaign proposes a partnership between an arts organization and a local coffee house to expand audience reach and support long-term growth.
graphics
A recent example of a graphic I am especially proud of. Intended for seasonal staff and musicians at the Grand Teton Music Festival to share across personal channels, including LinkedIn and Facebook. This content expanded GTMF’s brand reach, introducing the festival to new audiences and even potential future employees while also celebrating the professional accomplishments of the 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.
did you miss it?
My video content has its own page - take a look!
about
I spent more than a decade performing before discovering that I could tell stories in a different way. Today, I bring that same curiosity and love of the arts to marketing, using audience insight and creative problem-solving to help more people discover and connect with the work.
videos
Boots & a Brass Quintet
A collaboration between GTMF and the Jackson Hole Rodeo, this video connects two distinct audiences (and the wider Jackson Hole community) together through music.
Minotaur in Action
Rehearsal footage featuring our Minotaur puppet brought audiences behind the scenes, 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 featuring our Minotaur puppet. 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 festival 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 memorable visual connection to The Lightning Thief and an opportunity to extend the in-person experience into digital spaces. I created a TikTok designed to capture that interaction and encourage students who encountered the production at the festival to continue engaging with it online.Results
The recruitment TikTok became the most-viewed video on the profile, reaching 7.6K views. Its 0.47% save rate was the highest among the profile’s five most-viewed videos.Overall
I used audience response to identify a recognizable visual hook, then adapted an in-person recruiting experience into content designed for continued digital engagement.
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 post also shared a peek into the rehearsal experience, targeting 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 promoted the show and resonated across multiple audience groups, including cast and department members, university students, and families.
Beyoncé x Rocky
Rehearsal footage from The Rocky Horror Show made for engaging short-form content by playing into the campiness of the script.
user generated content
Below are two examples of user-generated content I coordinated during the department's summer off-season. This content enabled our social channels to remain active and gave prospective students an authentic look at student life beyond the academic year. The first example (on the left for desktop users) performed particularly well and was re-shared by the university's official channels.
about
I spent more than a decade performing before discovering that I could tell stories in a different way. Today, I bring that same curiosity and love of the arts to marketing, using audience insight and creative problem-solving to help more people discover and connect with the work.
