Jessi Flores, who ran Drew Estate’s art program known as Subculture Studios, is leaving the company to pursue other ventures. Flores departs after two decades with Drew Estate.
It was back in 1999 when Drew Estate co-founder Jonathan Drew discovered Flores’ unique style of street art in the streets of Nicaragua. Drew invited Flores to join the company where he would develop Subculture Studios into the most unique art program in the cigar industry.
“My years at Drew Estate have been incredible, and I am so proud to have played a role with our employees, our customers and our loyal fans to make Drew Estate the best company in the cigar business,” said Flores in a press release. “The most special part of the experience has been working with the many artists of Subculture Studios, and seeing them grow as artists, as people, and as friends. I know that I leave Subculture in great hands, and that it will continue to create innovative and beautiful art for Drew Estate. I want to thank everyone at Drew Estate and all fans of Subculture Studios for an unbelievable twenty-year ride together. I especially want to thank Jonathan Drew for taking a chance on a young street artist. Now is the right time for me to pursue new opportunities.”
“Beyond building Subculture Studios into a game changing artistic workshop, Jessi’s creative spirit and extraordinary artistic talent have been a centerpiece in the culture of Drew Estate itself,” commented Jonathan Drew, Founder and President of Drew Estate. “After so many years of singular focus, we understand Jessi’s need to expand his scope of creativity and explore new ventures.”
Drew Estate CEO Glenn C. Wolfson added, “It is a testament to Jessi’s many years of focus and hard work that he is able to move forward at this time in his career knowing that his legacy at Subculture Studios will be well protected by the marvelous cadre of artists that he personally recruited and trained over the years. We are pleased to announce that Richard “Dog” Diaz will be taking over responsibility for the creative design work of Subculture, and Marvin Montoya will be taking over responsibility for artwork production and logistics. Both Dog and Marvin have been key artists and leaders at Subculture for many years, and we have total confidence that their experience and skill sets will keep Subculture producing show stopping art for years to come.”
“The entire team at Drew Estate is thankful for Jessi’s valuable contributions to the growth of the company since its early years,” said Wolfson. “He will always be a part of the fabric of Drew Estate, and we wish him the very best as he embarks upon his journey into new business ventures.”
Photo Credit: Drew Estate
