After a semester of work, University of Southern Mississippi senior graphic design students showcased their projects during the opening reception held in the Gallery of the George Hurst Building on Thursday, April 23, at 5:30 p.m.
“I love seeing their [the students’] excitement,” said John Mark Lawler, professor and graphic design area coordinator, who was at the event and helped put together the Graphic Design Senior Capstone Exhibition. “They work so hard. Our students work so hard and it’s just nice to see them get to be recognized for all of that hard work.”
The graduating seniors begin preparing for the exhibition toward the end of the fall semester by brainstorming ideas. Once they return in the spring, students begin designing their projects.
A total of 16 graduating students participated in the exhibition, presenting a wide array of project ideas, from pottery studios to airline travel. Some of the projects in the showcase include: Think Tank, a subscription box service created by Tegan Bumbieris; Lucinari, a company providing all-natural alternative treatments for mental and physical health by Camp Stewart; and Everpath, a fantasy-inspired cafe by Allie Armstrong.
According to Lawler, the event allows the students to showcase the quality and professionalism of their work while gaining experience within the wide field of graphic design and the kind of work that they can expect in their future careers.
“It gives them an opportunity to learn how to actually put on an exhibition,” Lawler said. “To learn how to actually show their work in an exhibition setting. There is a lot more that goes into [graphic] design than just design right. There comes a point where you have to exhibit that work as well and so this gives them that opportunity…This is a starting point of the type of work that they can expect to do once they start working.”
The exhibition gives the students a chance to show off and be proud of their work, before entering the workforce, which Lawler believes they are well prepared for. While the exhibit is mainly an opportunity to highlight the achievements of the students, it also allows the community the chance to see what the program produces.
“Considering how much they do, and how much they have to get done in the turnaround time, like they’re producing some real, like professional things,” said Daylin Rouser, a junior graphic design major at USM, who was in attendance at the event and will be there next year. “We see how much like, how hard they work. We always see them in the classrooms at all hours. We saw them stressing out…so we knew that they put their all into it. So we knew it was going to be awesome.”
Around 200 people from USM and the surrounding community attended the exhibition’s opening reception, according to Lawler. Guests were provided refreshments and encouraged to walk through the gallery to view the student’s projects.
Each booth was designed by the students to demonstrate their capstone project. Many of which included books outlining the development of the project over the semester, that guests were able to look through, as well as some promotional items such as stickers and other items.
The exhibition is not just for the students; it also gives the community the chance to see their work as well as the quality of the graphic design program at the university. The USM graphic design program is consistently ranked among the top 50 schools in the country, and Lawler said that the showcase highlights why the program receives national recognition from Graphic Design USA.
“I think it gives them [the community] an idea of how we work, how this can be engaging and fun for the community,” said Ny Beckworth-Taylor, a senior graphic design major, who created the self-care brand Aura, aimed at teenage girls, providing products meant to connect mood and self-expression with self-care wellness. “It means that I get to show off, how hard I work throughout the semester and just make it engage and fun for everybody else.”
The showcase will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday until April 30.
Following the exhibition, the Senior Studio Art Capstone Showcase opening reception will be held May 7, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the George Hurst Building Gallery, and will remain open until May 15.
For more information, visit the School of Performing and Visual Arts’ event calendar at https://www.usm.edu/performing-visual-arts/event-calendar.php
