Zachary Payne is a freelance costume designer, crafts artisan, and illustrator. He graduated magna cum laude with his BFA in Theatre Production Design at Belmont University in Nashville in 2021 and recently graduated with his Master of Fine Arts from Florida State University in May 2024. His work has been seen on stage at Florida State University, the Utah Shakespeare Festival, and the Glimmerglass Festival. In his final year at Florida State he was awarded first place in Costume Crafts and second place in Costume Design at the SETC Design/Technology competition. His work was recognized nationally at the 2024 USITT Emerging Creatives Exhibition, where he was one of 12 early career artists selected from a large group of candidates to present his work at the 2024 conference.