James LaFollette in front of his poster

Fine Arts freshman James LaFollette presented at the 13^th Annual Multiple Perspectives on Access, Inclusion, and Disability Conference at Ohio State University. The conference, which was held April 16 and 17, had more than 200 attendees.

LaFollette competed in a poster session with students from across the U.S. His presentation on Crohn’s disease, Making Crohn’s Visible: From Struggles to Strides with an Internal Disorder, won in the art and performance category. As a prize, he received $200 from the Ethel Louise Armstrong Foundation.

“My main goal was just to simply bring awareness to the disability and also help others feel more comfortable about their own personal disabilities,” LaFollette said.

Through his 20-page book, LaFollette, who has Crohn’s, explains what it is, how it affects the body, and possible side effects from taking medication.

“The main reason I wanted to even talk about Crohn’s was because most people have never heard of it, and since it’s an internal disorder, people can never tell when you’re in pain or struggling that day,” LaFollette said.

LaFollette is from Westerville, OH, and attended Northside Christian School.

Artists create murals at the sixth annual Urban Scrawl in Franklinton, photo courtesy of Kyle Robertson

Urban Scrawl, an annual festival in the Franklinton neighborhood of Columbus, was chalk full of CCAD talent this year.

Participating artists were chosen after they submitted proposals to the Franklinton Arts District. During the festival each artist was given a 4 by 8 foot vertical panel to paint. Following the festival, panels were either sold in a silent auction or displayed as public art in Franklinton.

Participating alumni included Lea Gray (Fine Arts 2004), Kirsten Bowen (Illustration 1989), Adam Crum (Fine Arts 2006), Joel Atkinson (Illustration 2009), Clint Davidson (Fine Arts 2000), Julia McCann (Illustration 2011), Christopher Tennant (Fine Arts 2006), Daric Gill (Fine Arts 2004), and Nikos Fyodor Rutkowski (Fine Arts 2002). Students who participated include Illustration sophomore Jacob Tanner (CCAD 2014) and freshman Franklin Cain-Borgers (CCAD 2016).

The Franklinton Urban Scrawl is an annual two-day festival (which took place Aug. 25–26). In addition to the on-site art creations, the festival had bands performing, a skateboard competition, pedicab rides, and break-dancing performances.