Hazel Varanese’s “Wolf”

The Society of Illustrators will be seeing a lot of CCAD this spring. The acclaimed professional society has accepted three illustration seniors into the 2013 Society of Illustrators Scholarship Competition and is honoring professor C.F. Payne with a Distinguished Educators in the Arts award.

Accepted into the scholarship competition: Art of Robots by Taylor Hicks, Bad News and The Conqueror by Matthew Houston, and Wolf by Hazel Varanese.

The four illustrations were chosen by jurors from more than 5,000 entries. The final exhibition will feature the work of more than 200 students from universities nationwide in the Museum of American Illustration at the Society of Illustrators, May 15–June 5 in New York City.

The Society’s endowment, contributions from private and corporate donors, and proceeds from an annual auction of member-donated artworks will fund approximately 25 scholarships during an opening reception on May 17.

During the reception, Payne will also receive his Distinguished Educators in the Arts award. The  award is presented to educators who have made a strong impact on illustration as both a teacher and an artist. Payne is one of two honorees this year.

Payne’s artwork has graced the covers of Time Magazine, Readers Digest, Sports Illustrated, The New York Times Book Review, and The New York Times Sunday Magazine. In addition he has illustrated numerous children’s books, including most recently Mousetronaut, written by astronaut Mark Kelly.

Since the competition’s founding in 1981, the Society of Illustrators has awarded more than $1,500,000 to deserving students.

The garment on the left is from Rachel Kaplan's collection, inspired by Georgia O'Keeffe and Umberto Boccioni. Chavilah Bennett used the fashion shoot photo to recontsruct a work of art inspired by Georgia O'Keeffe's painting “Red Canna."

When the music is pounding and the models are strutting down the runway—each bringing forth a delightful new surprise—it is easy to only see the fashion design talent at the CCAD Senior Fashion Show.

So, each year we like to take a moment and call attention to all of the other creative minds that make our extraordinary fundraiser such a memorable experience.

One piece in particular, the lookbook, lasts well beyond that one adrenaline-fueled night. CCAD students have always played a significant role in developing the book, but this year that role was increased. The book not only showcases the design talent of our fashion students, but it also showcases the talent of our photographers, graphic designers, fine artists, and illustrators—not just in its production but in the rich content seen on each page.

“The fashion designers took their inspiration from 2D and 3D artists. To showcase that inspiration, we took the idea of deconstruction and reconstruction to highlight more forms of art and design at CCAD,” said CCAD Creative Director Lindsay Kronmiller as she described the concept for this year’s fashion show lookbook.

The team that developed the concept for the lookbook, the invites, and did the design work, from left Isabella Hidalgo, Aaron Roberts, Walker Crane, and Isuri Merenchi Hewage

“We took photos of the models wearing the designs on backgrounds that make it appear that the fashion is being ‘unpacked’ for a gallery show,” explained Kronmiller. “We then gave those photos to artists, designers, and illustrators and had them reconstruct each photo into a piece of art that was inspired by the original 2D and/or 3D artist—thus creating an ‘exhibition book’ of CCAD work focused around this year’s fashion thesis projects.”

While guests of the event will appreciate the beautiful book as they wait for the main event to start, the book’s shelf life lasts quite a bit longer. For the next year the admissions office will include the fashion lookbook in packets to prospective students and bring it with them to college fairs.

“This has become a signature piece for the college,” said Robin Hepler, director of marketing and communications at CCAD. “It started as a program just for the event, but we found that prospective students considering CCAD were fascinated by it and inevitably wanted a copy to keep. So, each year we’ve improved the content and ordered more quantities turning it into a regular piece in our recruitment packet. This year we’ve gone even further to ensure the book showcases the breadth of diverse talent at CCAD, while still being true to its original purpose.”

CCAD’s Design Group is an in-house design firm staffed by students and directed by Kronmiller. The team that developed the concept for the lookbook, the invites, and did the design work, included Advertising & Graphic Design seniors, Isabella Hidalgo and Aaron Roberts; Illustration senior Isuri Merenchi Hewage; and Advertising & Graphic Design junior Walker Crane.

Lookbook photographers, from left, Danielle Ford, Xandre King, Kelsey McClellan, Lian Dziura, Nicole Miller, and Marcus Morris.

The visual content for the lookbook was also all student generated. The photographs were taken by CCAD students (and an alumnus) during a daylong photo shoot that involved several sets  in CCAD’s massive photography studio space. Photography majors on the shoot, included seniors Lian Dziura, Xandre King, Kelsey McClellan, and Nicole Miller; junior Danielle Ford, and 2011 alumnus Marcus Morris.

The ‘reconstructed artwork’ was completed by the following students and alumni: Justine Arreche (Advertising & Graphic Design 2011), Chavilah Bennett (Advertising & Graphic Design 2012), Danielle Deley (Advertising & Graphic Design 2011), Pei Yin Chen (Photography 2011), Crane,  Dziura, Ford,  Andy Hayes (Advertising & Graphic Design 2001), Merenchi Hewage, Hidalgo,  Matthew Houston (Illustration 2012), Alex Lanisoz (Advertising & Graphic Design 2013),  Brian Liston (Media Studies 2012),  McClellan, Nathan Moser (Fine Arts 2012),  Simone Noronha (Advertising & Graphic Design 2011), Emily Rickard (Fine Arts 2010), Madison Schneider (Advertising & Graphic Design 2012), Pallavi Sen (Fine Arts 2011) Dillon Sirimongkhon (Illustration 2011), and Miles Tsang (Illustration 2012).

Videographers, from left, Alex Trimpe and Tom Hoying

Adding to the creative mix, CCAD tapped local branding agency Ologie to provide creative consultation and mentorship for the students as they worked on this massive undertaking.

While the lookbook has become a signature piece, it’s not the only student produced work that will be seen the night of the event (and beyond). Media Studies majors Tom Hoying (sophomore) and Alex Trimpe (senior) have been filming the lookbook design process and will be filming the entirety of the event to develop promotional materials for 2013. They also worked with local videographer Ryan Sweeney to develop a piece that will run prior to the runway show.

If you have your tickets be sure to remember to pick up a lookbook to see what all the fuss is about. If you don’t have tickets, we’ll do our best to post as many student-generated photos as we can the night of the show for your vicarious enjoyment.

Singing on the Great Day by Matthew Houston

An Illustration senior’s first-place entry in a recent poster contest is on display through Sunday, May 29 in a central Ohio gallery.

The digital print Singing on the Great Day by Matthew Houston can be seen at Hammond Harkins Galleries. Next, Houston’s poster will move to a permanent display at the State Library of Ohio.

Houston submitted the top entry in the recent Forever Free Emancipation Poster contest held in conjunction with an Abraham Lincoln exhibition at the state library. CCAD students were invited to submit posters that would visually communicate emancipation to a slave in 1863 unable to read.

The state library also will permanently display the second- and third-place contest posters by Fine Arts graduate Jerrica Fields (CCAD, 2011) and Joshua Kingsbury, a sophomore studying Animation.

Read the full press release announcing the students’ winning designs.

Singing on the Great Day by Matthew Houston

Three CCAD students were announced as winners of the Forever Free Emancipation Poster contest, held in conjunction with an Abraham Lincoln exhibition at the State Library of Ohio.

First place was awarded to Matthew Houston, a junior majoring in Illustration, for his digital print Singing on the Great Day. A mixed media piece, Freedom Quilt, by Fine Arts senior Jerrica Fields claimed second place and Joshua Kingsbury, a freshman studying Animation, placed third with his New Day digital print entry.

CCAD students were invited to submit posters that would visually communicate emancipation to a slave in 1863 unable to read. The contest was held in conjunction with the Forever Free: Abraham Lincoln’s Journey to Emancipation exhibit at the State Library of Ohio from March 7 through April 15, 2011. The winning entries were announced at the exhibit’s recent opening program and reception.

Houston’s poster will be on display at Hammond Harkin Galleries in Bexley for a short time following the conclusion of the exhibition. All three artists will have their posters on permanent display at the State Library of Ohio and received gift cards to Utrecht Art Supplies.

“Matthew, Jerrica, and Joshua each expressed visions of survival and hope in their work,” said Marsha McDevitt-Stredney, director of marketing & communications at the state library. “The students researched slavery, the Civil War, and the Emancipation Proclamation. Their work clearly communicates an understanding of the objective of the contest and compassion for those that suffered during that oppressive time in our history.”

Read the full press release announcing the contest winners.