Born in Odessa, USSR, and emigrated to the United States in 1989, Alexander received his BFA degree from The Cooper Union in May 2000. His main areas of concentration were graphic design and photography. Alexander worked as a designer in the Cooper Union Center for Design and Typography before pursuing a graduate degree. He attended the Cranbrook Academy of Art’s 2D Design department and graduated with an MFA in May 2007. Returning to New York that year he began teaching at The Cooper Union School of Art. In the fall of 2009 he co-curated an exhibition Lubalin Now with Mike Essl, and was named Curator of the Herb Lubalin Study Center of Design and Typography in 2010.

Since 2010 he has curated several exhibitions including: Appetite (2010), Pharma (2011),Type@Cooper (2012), Image of the Studio (2013), Thirty (2015), Swiss Style Now (2016), and We Dissent (2018). Since 2007, Alexander has taught typography and graphic design at the Cooper Union, Fordham University, City College and SUNY Purchase. He also teaches the history of typeface design at Type@Cooper, the post-graduate certificate program he co-founded in 2010. He is co-director of the annual Typographics conference and created the Lubalin100.com, and Flat File digital projects for the Lubalin Center.

José Miguel Ortiz is an Afro-Dominican multimedia artist and art educator known for his expertise in painting, art history, curating, fine art, and public art. His artistic endeavors often involve layering symbols and myths to foster connections among diverse peoples and cultures. Notably, he was chosen by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Arts & Design permanent art program, to create artwork for the 183rd Street and Jerome Avenue subway station in the Bronx.

In collaboration with choreographer Sita Frederick, Ortiz co-founded Areytos Performance Works, a multi-disciplinary performance company dedicated to presenting contemporary dance-theater rooted in Caribbean traditions and social justice principles. With over 20 years of experience in youth development, Ortiz has served as an art educator and program manager for various esteemed organizations, including the Henry Street Settlement, The Bronx Museum, The Children's Art Carnival, and the Anyone Can Fly Foundation.

His longest tenure was with the Art Education Program at the Joan Mitchell Foundation, where he initially served as an artist teacher and later expanded his role to program coordinator of The Student Opportunities and Support Program. He also served as program manager for Young Artist Initiatives, where he created The Early Art Practitioners Residency in New York City and New Orleans, a program aimed at offering mentorship and career development opportunities to emerging artists.

In his most recent role, Ortiz served as the program director at Groundswell, a New York City-based mural arts organization focused on using art as a catalyst for social change. He holds a B.F.A. in illustration from the School of Visual Arts in New York City.