Richard Cowdrey’s illustration for the children’s book “Searching for the You We Adore”

We do our best to get most of the news you submit to us onto the CCAD News Blog, but since there are more than 10,000 of you making news all over the world, not everything can make it into the blog. We’re glad to have another venue where we can share everything with you—this newsletter’s classnotes.

You can submit classnotes via the easy-to-use form on the alumni landing page. We only post career-related successes, awards, exhibitions, and publications, but we’d also love to know when you move, get married, or have children—just use that same form.

Now, without further ado, your classnotes from March, April, and May 2012.

Eileen Mueller Neill ’65 had an exhibition, Imaginaries, at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside’s Fine Arts Gallery. Read more here.

Richard Cowdrey ’81 illustrated Searching for the You We Adore, written by Valerie Westfall. Read more here.

Janet Sopp-Sims ’85 was a finalist in the 2012 Hunting Art Prize. Read more here.

Anthony Baker ’86 presented at a conference about the importance of art in the classroom. Read more here.

Creative Arts of Women (CAW) members Helma Groot ’89, Roxanne Smith-Mansell ’87, Kristin Morris ’94–’02, Mary Ann Crago ’95, and Cat Sheridan ’03 were in a group exhibition honoring Women’s History Month. Read more here.

Richard Hughes ’88–’95 was chosen to create a poster for the eighth annual Art Affair on the Square in Urbana, OH. Read more here.

Don Slobodien ’88 earned first place in the Art at the Arnold competition. Read more here.

Chris Cosnowski ‘92 had a solo exhibition at Lyons Wier Gallery in New York City. Read more here.

Daniel Hopper ’94 had a chandelier chosen to be displayed in Coup d’Etat, a design showroom in San Francisco.

Jason Moore ’96 was named to Columbus Business First’s 40 under 40 2012 Honorees list. Read more here.

Danielle Julian Norton ’99 was in a group exhibition in New Jersey. Read more here.

Nicole Bruckman ’00 co-curated Cella Gallery’s exhibition Femme Fatale in North Hollywood. Read more here.

Irina Grebennik ’02 exhibited work in the  Orville J. Hanchey Gallery at Northwestern State University in the Inaugural 40 under 40 show.

Michael Bonardi ’04 had a solo exhibition in Columbus, OH. Read more here.

Eliza Kinkz ’04 premiered her film Chocolate Milk at the 2012 South by Southwest® (SXSW®) Film Conference and Festival. Read more here.

Michael Litzau ’04 was offered a two-week residency at Ragdale in Illinois. Read more here.

Steve Weinzierl ’05 became the creative director at Favorite Color in New York City.

Anna Porreca ’06 was hired as an apparel graphic designer for Victoria’s Secret Pink in New York City.

John O’Reilly ’07 had his first solo exhibition at RH Gallery in New York City. Read more here.

These are Things, founded by Jen Adrion ’08 and Omar Noory ’08, was featured in two trade publications (read more here) and was used as a case study for a New York Times bestselling author’s book (read more here).

Ashley K. Alexander ’09 published her second novel, The Hanged Man’s Ghost. Read more here.

Annie Kocher ’09 was featured in Alive! Read more here.

Rachel Ridgley ’10 had her photography and personal story featured in Wolfdogs magazine. Read more here.

Mason Miller ’11 was hired as a graphic designer for Big Red Rooster, a multidimensional brand experience firm.

Pallavi Sen ’11 was awarded the Lifchez/Stronach nine-month, paid curatorial internship with the Antonio Ratti Textile Center of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Read more here.

Book cover of "The $100 Startup"

Alumni-founded design company These are Things will be featured in The $100 Startup, a book by New York Times bestselling author Chris Guillebeau.

These are Things is owned by 2008 grads Jen Adrion and Omar Noory. In the book, Guillebeau highlights 50 case studies where individuals have built businesses earning $50,000 or more from a modest investment, in many cases $100 or less.

“The book is a step-by-step guide to starting a micro-business without tons of cash and a formal business plan—which is exactly what we did,” Adrion said. “We have been fans of Chris’ work for a while, so this is pretty exciting for us.”

Adrion and Noory started their company in 2010. Their first product design was a map originally created for their personal use. Upon selling the extras online they realized the product’s business potential.

Guillebeau’s book will be published May 8, 2012. He will stop in Columbus during his international book tour to speak at the Garden Theater in the Short North on May 22.

Noory and Adrion

A design company founded by CCAD Advertising & Graphic Design alumni Jen Adrion (CCAD 2008) and Omar Noory (CCAD 2008) was recently featured in two trade publications.

Adrion and Noory started their company, These are Things, in 2010. Their first product design was a map originally created for their personal use. Upon selling the extras online they realized the product’s business potential.

Since then they have been featured in both online and print media. Most recently, they have been profiled in two published books. The first, I Heart Stationery: Fresh Inspirations for Handcrafted Cards, Note Cards, Journals, & Other Paper Goods, is an overview of the best designers and techniques used for handcrafted stationery and paper goods.

“We’re so proud to have our work profiled in I Heart Stationery amongst great designers and illustrators from around the globe,” Adrion said.

World map created by These are Things

Their work also graced the pages of The Crafter’s Guide to Taking Great Photos: The Best Techniques for Showcasing Your Handmade Creations. The book is an instructional guide to documenting and photographing artists’ handmade items in a simple, inexpensive way.

“When author Heidi Adnum approached us last year to have our product photography featured in her upcoming book, we jumped at the chance,” said Adrion.

To learn more about These Are Things and browse their shop visit them at thesearethings.com.