A Columbus College of Art & Design grad reflects on her creative and professional pursuits and a surprising Steve Jobs connection.
As a student at Columbus College of Art & Design, Mary Lou Alpert (Advertising & Graphic Design, 1960) worked for Helen Winnemore, the proprietor of Helen Winnemore Craft, a well-known gift shop in Columbus’ German Village neighborhood selling special, one-of-a-kind art and crafts.
“Helen was a great mentor,” Alpert recalls.
So, in 1991, Alpert and longtime friend Frances Shawn initiated the first Helen Winnemore Scholarship at CCAD to honor Winnemore on her 91st birthday. The scholarship, which supports Fine Arts students at CCAD, grew upon Winnemore’s death in 1996 thanks to a bequest to CCAD.
Alpert herself was supported by a scholarship as a CCAD student, which has motivated her and her husband to pay it forward. Her schooling, she says, was “intense”—and beneficial.
“I really owe a lot to the mentoring and education I got at CCAD,” Alpert says.
Most recently, Alpert, who was recognized by CCAD in 1993 with an Outstanding Alumni Award, has continued her support for her alma mater by co-sponsoring a apply here.
Photos from top: Mary Lou Alpert, photo by Margaret Fox Photography; left: Samuel Beckett's Library by Mary Lou Alpert, photo by Margaret Fox Photography; Steve Jobs with apple poster Mary Lou Alpert designed and illustrated for the New York Botanical Garden. Photo by Andree Abecassis, featured in October 1989 issue of Inc. magazine.
