Eight students from Concordia recently garnered a total of 11 awards at the annual design competition of the state chapter of the American Institute of Graphic Arts. The awards were announced and works displayed in a gallery at Hot Shops in Omaha on Nov. 7.
Senior Rachel Deeter was one of three students to take home a pair of awards. "I feel very honored to have two of my pieces win awards," she said. "And it was great to be able to see all of the entries, not just the winners."
The structure of the show allows attendees to view work earning awards on the gallery walls and all of the other submissions in bins around the gallery.
The annual show is judged by professionals from across the country. This year's judges included Von Glitschka, founder of Glitschka Studios in Salem, Ore.; Elizabeth Resnick, associate professor in communication design at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston, Mass.; and Ann Willoughby, president and creative director of Willoughby Design Group in Kansas City, Mo.
As an organization, AIGA includes working professionals, educators and students in 62 chapters and more than 240 student groups. The Nebraska state chapter numbers more than 100 members.
Concordia's art department encourages participation in such competitions to expose students to additional critiques of their work and as a step toward becoming professional artists and designers.
"I had heard about the AIGA annual show in past years but never entered," said senior Natalie Swanda, winner of two awards. "Since this was my last year to enter as a student, I wanted to see what the experience was all about. I knew that even if nothing got in, the process of entering work to be judged would be beneficial to my future as an artist."
Paul Berkbigler, assistant professor of art at Concordia and education director on the board of the state AIGA chapter, was proud of the students. "While I felt the judging was stricter this year, our students still did very well," he said. "I congratulate those who made the cut."
Concordia's award winners were:
AIGA Student Silver Awards
"Movie Poster Set" by Rachel Deeter, senior, Seward, Neb.
"Digital Study of 1961 Corvette" by Natalie Swanda, senior, Omaha, Neb.AIGA Student Bronze Awards
"Bloomingdale's Spring Fashion" by Alyssa Belgum, sophomore, Hastings, Neb.
"No Handlebars" and "Final of Vinyl" by Adam Birt, sophomore, Longmont, Colo.
"Beauty and the Beast" by Rachel Deeter, senior, Seward, Neb.
"Tale of Tom Kitten Page Layout" by Chelsea Karmann, junior, Albion, Neb.
"A Hungarian Fairytale" by Amalia Hillmann, senior, San Jose, Calif.
"Handbags & Accessories" by Valerie Schick, sophomore, Meadow Grove, Neb.
"The Three Spinners Promotional Poster" by Natalie Swanda, senior, Omaha, Neb.
"Early Summer at Pottery Barn" by Meagan Zabel, senior, Newberg, Ore. Typically the pieces Concordia students enter have their origin in a specific course assignment. Several of Concordia's illustration and graphic design instructors - Prof. Lynn Soloway, Instructor Seth Boggs, and Berkbigler - had student work represented.
"I encourage the students to enter so that their work can be considered among all the work created in the state over the last year," said Berkbigler. "It is a great chance to see what everyone else is doing both at other schools and professionally. It is also a chance to discuss with other designers why one piece may or may not have made it up on the wall."
According to Sarita Schroeder, director of programming for the state AIGA chapter and graphic designer at HDR architecture in Omaha, roughly 25% of student entries were given an award. "It is important for students to enter so they can get to see both winners and non-winners within our small design community," she said. "They can familiarize themselves with the companies and the work and start to network as well."