Lexi Gembel | 2026 Sawyer J. Boyd Creatives Grant Recipient
Back in August, The Sunset Project was honored to announce Lexi Gembel of Alpena, Michigan, as one of nine Sawyer J. Boyd Creatives Grant Recipients for 2026!
Lexi is a sports-focused creative working across mediums such as photography, videography, graphic design, and podcasting. After health challenges temporarily pulled her away, she found a new connection to the game through creative outlets, including her podcast, L.U.C.K. it with Lexi.
We recently sat down with Lexi to discuss her unique story, why she applied for this year's grant cycle, and what she hopes to use the funding for.
Hey Lexi, can you quickly introduce yourself to those who may not know you?
I’m Lexi Gembel! I’m from Alpena, MI and my creative pursuits include creating sports graphic design, videography, and podcasting!
How would you describe your creative interest to someone unfamiliar with it?
My creative pursuits are based around sports management and marketing. I am currently a co-creator on the Alpena Athletic Council page, where I create sports graphics to showcase cool things the teams have done and to share with the community when game days are. I create videos for the page as well as for my family brand. I also do a podcast called L.U.C.K. it with Lexi on people working hard.
What initially inspired your interest in this space?
The person who inspired me is a woman named Kat Voiles. My sister sang the National Anthem at Ford Field for Supercross, and Kat was the one running the show. I got to see her do all the behind-the-scenes stuff in sports, and I realized that is what I wanted to do. I asked her a lot of questions and found out she studied Sports Management. Since then, I’ve been trying many ways to get connected in sports and create a path in school to help me be successful. Kat also inspired me to start young to make sure I had good experience, so I continue to create opportunities for myself that will benefit my future to be like Kat!
What's one of your most memorable experiences or milestones from your creative journey?
A memorable experience in my creative journey was when I got to interview Emma Gentry. For those who don’t know Emma, she is a Professional Women’s Hockey League player for the Toronto Scepters who grew up right here in Alpena. I got to interview her a few weeks before she was drafted. She was inspiring because of how small our town is and that she could work that hard to become a professional.
How have challenges or setbacks helped shape your creative process?
Setbacks and challenges are what shaped my vision. During my freshman and sophomore years, I started having some health issues, causing me to have to take a break from sports. I had been heavily involved in sports. During that time, I had a lot more time to think, and I decided to try creating a podcast on people doing hard work and achieving their goals. My parents and I sat down and created a plan, so without the painful setback of me getting sick, I would have never gotten to do my podcast.
How do you envision your creative interest evolving over the next year?
I envision my creative pursuit evolving over the next year by me being more independent and more in-depth with my work. Right now, to make my graphics, I rely on other people’s pictures and inspiration to help me create them. Over this next year, I would like to try taking my own pictures and coming up with my own ideas to create the graphics.
How do you plan to utilize your grant funding to further your creative interest, journey, and process?
I plan on utilizing the grant funds to pay for a new lens to start trying to take my own pictures and videos. This will allow me to be more independent and create my own content.
Do you have any advice to share with someone looking to pursue their own creative interests?
A piece of advice I would give to someone trying a creative pursuit is to “Just Do It.” As cliché as it sounds, oftentimes people don’t go through with something they are interested in because they fear what other people will think of them. The best thing to do is just do it for yourself and ignore what other people have to say about it.
Are there any social media profiles, websites, or other resources where our readers can follow your journey and support your work?
You can follow along on social media:
Alpena High School Athletic Council: @ahs_athletic_council on Instagram
Instagram - @luckunlimitedapparel
Facebook - LUCK Unlimited Apparel
Or my personal Instagram account, @lexigembel
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