Today we’d like to introduce you to Cassidy Colgan.
Hi Cassidy, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Hi I am Cass! I am a sign painter and muralist based in South Jersey. My husband and I work as a team under the name Casscabell. My artist name has been Casscabell for some years now—a play on cascabel, the Spanish word for rattlesnake. It encompasses my spicy, swirly decorative style and gives a nod to the year of the snake. Diego, aka Don Orion, is represented by the three stars in Orion’s belt. Cass does the talking, planning, and overall design; Diego swoops in with the prep work and the perfectionism only a geometric tattoo artist could really know—transferring the design to the wall and making sure every line and detail is crisp. I’m the loud one; he’s the quiet one. The yin-yang makes for success.
We met in Buenos Aires many moons ago, where I was studying on exchange from Barnard College and Diego, born and raised in the city, was working as a tattoo artist and bartender. My time there completely shaped my vision for art. There was intentional art in every corner of the city: the buses, the windows, the small signs guiding customers to the bathroom or entrance—everything had a special artistic touch. The most mundane tasks became magical because the world felt created to enjoy in every moment.
While studying in the city, I was drawn to the massive amounts of street art peeking around every corner. I actually ended up writing my thesis on it, but never thought I could be a part of something like that.
I was also captivated by the decorative art. The design that plasters much of the city is fileteado (fee-let-tay-ah-doh), an Art Nouveau–influenced lettering and decorative style that began in the late 19th century as a way to attract customers to ox- and horse-drawn fruit and vegetable carts. It was soon painted everywhere: buses, shopfronts, signs, and walls. It dances and romances in every corner of the city, and I was smitten. I began studying it while living there, doing workshops with greats like Memo Caviglia.
When we eventually moved to the United States, I longed for that soulful feeling I found in Buenos Aires and other places around South America we had traveled. Back then, I was working as a teacher and Diego as a tattoo artist. I made artwork here and there, and hosted lots of workshops, but we always felt a little lonesome. What was missing?
In 2022, we were invited to paint a mural for a friend. We collaborated—two artists with very different skills—on a fileteado-influenced design, and it was fun. I have the brush skills; Diego has the design-transfer abilities and linework. From then on, we shyly began pursuing more murals and artwork.
In 2026, we officially became muralists and sign painters. Our style blends the vibrant art of our travels with symbolism, lettering and folk-inspired designs, along with geometric textures from Diego’s time as a sacred geometry tattoo artist, all interpreted through the eyes of fileteado. We are always looking to collaborate with small businesses in order to prove to them that art REALLY matters, and it’s visceral once it’s present. It has nothing to do with the AI quick art. It’s done with patience and intention, and can really change a space.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Struggles abound! Living in Buenos Aires, one learns to be frugal and resourceful. It is a struggle to make ends meet and create a thriving life off of art itself, so we worked on different things while living there. Diego was a bartender and tattoo artist, while I taught English all over the city. Being in this situation, we learned to really the materials on hand, mostly ink and paper, to create cheaply made designs. We didn’t know it at the time, but all of that practice allowed us to think about using materials differently while also constantly practicing creative ideas and compositions out of the mere joy of creating.
Moving back to the US was another struggle. I did the entire greencard process by myself. The immigration lost our paperwork not once…but twice. Luckily, we went into the process with a lax attitude, so we weren’t rushed on the process. The thing is, once your paperwork is approved, it’s urgent! We got a notice two months after the postage date that stated we needed to get to the US within 4 months and stay there until the green card was received. If not, we had to start the entire process over again. This meant uprooting our ENTIRE lives in a matter of months to step into the unknown. We moved to Philly, where we stayed with my mom. We waited and had no idea when the visa would arrive. it was two months later we received it, moved BACK to Buenos Aires for a few months to tie up loose ends and say our final goodbyes, before we finally moved back to Philly in 2019.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
We specialize in traditional sign painting with a modern twist. We can gild like the best of them, but we prefer to do what we call “eclectic gilding.” This involves gilding with scrap metallic wrappers in lieu of the real stuff for an unexpected, poetic and beautiful aesthetic.
We also specialize in all types of lettering and illustrative murals. Most of our compositions involve a lot of nature, personality and funky color palettes. We love working with our clients in a collaborative process that creates a totally unique, beautiful sign or mural
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I love Vineland because of the diversity, nature and space it provides. We love going for walks in the parks, collaborating with our neighbors from all over the world, and experimenting new cuisines (hello Haitian and halal food!).
Pricing:
- Interior murals start around $25/square foot
- Exterior starts at $35/square foot
- Signs are customized either on glass or wood
Contact Info:
- Website: https://casscabell.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/casscabell/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/login/?next=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fcasscabell%2F
