In Rechnitz Hall, graduating graphic design students had their creations on display for fellow students, potential employers, and soon-to-be former mentors alike in the annual two-part senior show.
The turnout was rather large and, according to art and design professor Vincent DiMattio, the opening night turnout on the 28 rounded at a crowd of about 400.
Showcased with the assistance of man-made window and sales floor displays, frames, tables, and an assortment of shelves, seniors had a wide arrangement of projects accumulated over their years to put out.
Ranging from, but not limited to, race car designs, promotional posters spanning several fields of media, advertisements for prototyped products, to fully developed storyboards for video games and movie animations. All of the pieces set out appeared to be convincing on appearance alone in regards to the ability of the students.
Each student display contained business cards and resumes in front of their artwork; all with the individual’s personalized logo. Some students even went beyond the basics, going so far as to involve the audience in their display; Christina Mantak, for example, had a guestbook alongside her cards for visitors to sign and help document the experience.
Although some projects were of the same assignment, it was easy to see how each individual in the show tackled the task in their own unique way. Mecal Lindsey particularly had an eye-catching display, what with his kaleidoscope-like tiles, which framed all of his works, and an aesthetically pleasing color theme, which assisted in tying everything in the collection together. The standout pieces though were his intricate pieces of creatively generated logos, all of which shared the overall appeal of professionalism and high methodology.
Vanessa Wheeler was another standout, particularly with her image management and developments of company publicity advertisements. One piece that seemed to garner attention was her foldout stamp booklet promoting “Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation.” Utilizing several programs to complete the piece, such as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, Wheeler’s visual presentation certifies her skill in that field of advertising, a trait that would be very useful in the fast growing worlds of advertising and public relations.
There were also several physically developed products displayed. Daniel Spaulding’s “Strum Series” took his product to new heights by designing a cigar box. By utilizing Adobe Photoshop to apply hand drawn bluegrass instruments onto the product, Spaulding melds together conventional artistic methods along with modernized computer uses in a very effective manner. Not only does the product appear clean cut and professional, but serves as an appeal to employers in the marketing and product design fields.
Along with fantastically fashioned snowboards, guitars, and wine bottle designs, there were also objects that appealed to individuals on a humorous note. Juli Read’s “Hangover Survival Kit” appropriately contained RedBull, aspirin, and sunglasses.
Products and promotional creations were not the only forms of handiwork present. On a specially placed Mac computer, viewers could interact with animation and web design works of students specializing in web graphics and computer animation. Over 15 students were featured on the Mac computers, and while some had their resumes and sites accessible on the desktop, there were others that went a step further with interactive animated web banners and documents for iPads and iPods.
There was even an added treat on the back walls outside of the gallery. A student made short-film was displayed on three flat screens; all adding to the already extensive resume of abilities that these students have.
Overall it can be stated that the first senior show ended on a high note for the students, visitors and faculty alike. The professors can rest easy that another lot has the chops to survive in the artistic realm, and the seniors can graduate knowing that they have the talent and support of a proud school behind them as they spread their hawk wings and fly.
