CCAD artists play superheroes, partner with COSI to transform children’s art

Student Success
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They may not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound (let’s leave the Superman antics to the Man of Steel himself), but a group of Columbus College of Art & Design students recently played superhero for some young artists in the making. CCAD collaborated with COSI Columbus on an art exhibition and contest connected to Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes, on view at COSI through Monday, Sept. 5, 2022. COSI Columbus, voted no. 1 science center in the U.S. three years running, endeavors to inspire interest in science, technology, engineering, and math topics and via “hands-on fun” learning. Its contest, which called on artists to invent and design their own superheroes, was judged by Craig “CM” Campbell, CCAD Comics & Narrative Practice Assistant Professor; Lauren McCallister (Illustration, 2015), manager at the award-winning Columbus comics shop The Laughing Ogre; and Jenny Robb, Curator & Associate Professor at The Ohio State University’s Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum. The jurors selected 36 pieces (from nearly 400 entries) for the show. Six artists in the youth category (age 11 or under) received the Super Secret Top Prize—having their original characters recreated by the CCAD students. 

Jordan Bell, Assistant Director of Career Services; Laurenn McCubbin, Associate Professor and Chair, Comics & Narrative Practice; and Nicole Monahan, Director of Corporate & Community Partnerships, worked with COSI staff to design the competition’s top prize as a work experience for the CCAD students selected to bring the children’s art to life. Through this creative collaboration, the six undergraduates selected to participate were able to build key skills and awareness surrounding contracts, ownership, and overall success in a work-for-hire scenario—and make a child’s day at the same time.

The following CCAD students were selected for the initiative: