Although the signage in the Fine Arts Building promises “GRAPHIC CONTENT,” the senior graphic design showcase can be enjoyed by the whole family.
The exhibit, which features art from Daphne LaGrone, Mia Upchurch, Dylan Schaefer, Bria McCay, Grayson Buchignani and Jared Freeman, opened with a reception 5-6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 8 and will be available for viewing until the 20th.
The exhibit is made up of pieces created throughout the 2021-2022 school year. Some of the pieces come from assignments and internships, whereas others are independent projects. All of the pieces are digital, but some are inspired by other media, such as animation, 3-D construction and collage.
“Everything is a mixture of everything the students have been exposed to in their time here,” Sarah Haig, associate professor of graphic design, said.
Through different styles and techniques, each student can express themselves and their experience in a different way. LaGrone, for example, expresses herself through the use of brighter and darker elements.
“I tend to be inspired by bright and colorful things, which is what like half of my work is very bright, and then half of it’s kind of spooky,” LaGrone said. “So the two different sides of my aesthetic, if that makes sense.”
McCay, however, expresses herself through what we share and hide from the people around us in her collection “Facade: Through the Years.” Inspired by Bethany Collins’ “Blind Emboss,” the collection features diary-style writings digitally brushed over with paint to show and conceal certain passages.
“Everyone has things that they struggle with, and oftentimes, people present themselves in ways that aren’t representative of what they are going through… My pieces serve as an abstract representation of myself and my attempt to conceal certain parts of myself,” McCay wrote on a sheet of paper accompanying her work.
Unlike other student showcases, the awards were not given out based on the quality or perception of each piece. Instead, Haig awarded superlatives based on each student’s personality and the experience Haig had as their professor. Upchurch received “Most Organized Advising Spreadsheet over Four Years,” and Buchignani received “Most Laid Back When Asked to Redo Something.” Schaefer received an award for having the most cow imagery, and LaGrone won the “Scooter” award based on an earlier conversation with Haig. Finally, Freeman received the superlative of being the “Most Loud”, and McCay received an award for having the “Best Eye Roll.”
“GRAPHIC CONTENT” marks the first senior showcase for graphic design students. Although showcasing art can be nerve-wracking, the event serves to celebrate the students’ achievements and provide experience.
“I was very nervous hoping that my work would be good, but I think it’s a really good experience that designers should be able to have as well as studio artists because we are all working towards a degree,” McCay said. “We’re all working hard together.”
There is potential in the future for more showcases; however, that will depend on the upcoming students. Nevertheless, students who participated felt the value and accomplishment of planning the showcase.
“I’m so glad that we have such a good group that can actually put it together because there have been problems with just having enough people in the past and having designers to come out and represent, and we just got such a good, strong group of illustrators,” LaGrone said. “We’re hoping to continue this on after this and inspire the younger classes to keep it going.”
