Four (4) VCD Students receive AAFO Scholarships.Four (4) Visual Communication and Design students were awarded American Advertising Federation of Omaha scholarships. Senior Emily Slattery, was awarded a $2,000. Juniors Elizabeth Starr, Julie Gates, and Travis Stewart will each receive $1,000 from the AAFO endowed scholarship fund in 2013.
UNK Visual Communication and Design students won two gold ant two silver awards in the District 9 regional ADDY Awards in 2013. Their works will automatically advance to the national competition. Natalie Valalik received Gold Award honors with her A Clockwork Orange movie poster. John Schultz won a Gold Award for his Walter White illustration. Dani Donovan won Silver Awards for Flipside Burgers & Fries and her Darkly Dreaming Dexter illustrion. Congatulation designers.
On Friday, April 26, 2013, Brandy L Nichols (VCD 2009), a graphic designer at SCORR Marketing in Kearney, and Chad Carstensen (VCD 2005), Creative Team Leader at Senior Market Sales, Inc., in Omaha, will speak about their work at 2:30 in room 312 in the fine arts building. The speakers will also review the Spring 2013 VCD senior show exhibitions and portfolios. The public is invited to their presentation, to view the Senior Show in the Walker Art Gallery, and to attend the VCD seniors show reception from 4 to 6 p.m.
View the senior student’s online portfolios.
VCD Alumni, Yang Song (S 2011), is visiting in Kearney while on break from
the Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles, where
he is attending graduate school. His coursework includes creating books that explore aspects
of design theory.
View draft layouts
from Yang Song's project books focusing on identity systems, visual coding, and visual
language.
VCD students win twelve (12) Nebraska ADDY awardsUNK Visual Communication and Design students won seven gold awards, and five silver awards in the 2013 ADDY contest. Gold Award winners are - Dani Donovan with two Gold Awards for Flipside Burgers & Fries and Darkly Dreaming Dexter, Liz Hudec Interpretations, Natalie Valalik A Clockwork Orange, Danielle Olson Vogel Collage Poster, Matthew John Schultz Walter White, and Kylie Hauer and Logan Bartels Bigelow. Silver Award winners are - Erika Baltzell Kearney Public Library, Logan Bartels Student Art Exhibition, Brittany Bauer St. Jude Give Thanks Walk, Kylie Hauer Wired Cafe, and Bailey Palmer San Jose Sabercats.
Guest Speakers Review VCD Senior ShowOn Friday, Alumni Dan Whelan (2000), a Game Designer and Project Manager at Heavyweight Studio in Vernon Hills, IL, and Steve Valish (2006), Senior Designer at Daake in Omaha, will review the VCD senior show exhibitions and portfolios. Both will also give a presentation to design students about their careers and work in design firms from 2:30 to 3:30 pm in the Fine Arts Bldg., room 312. The public is invited to view the Senior Show in the Walker Art Gallery, and to attend the reviewer’s presentation on Friday.
View Spring Senior Portfolios.
UNK VCD students win fifteen (15) awards and Judge's CitationVCD students won fifteen awards, plus a special design honor at the 2012 AIGA Nebraska design competition. Dani Donovan won both a Gold Award and a Judge's Favorite for her work Rhythm of Love (motion), Other Gold Award winners were Natalie Valalik for A Clockwork Orange (poster), Logan Bartels for Hook, Line, and Winners (Ad. promotion) Logan Bartels for Colbert (Illustration). Silver winners were: Dani Donovan for Savanna (Logo-clothing tags), Kathrine Griffith for Juxtapose (Logo-clothing tags), Brittany Bauer for Love Me Dead Typographic Music Video (Motion). Bronze winners were: Erika Baltzell, Brittany Bauer (3), Kylie Hauer (1+1 with Logan Bartels), Matt Schultz, Jennifer Green. Images will be available soon.
Art Halloween winners and photos coming soonContest winners and photos will be available soon
Get Out the VoteThis year’s Voting Poster campaign was created by UNK VCD students as part of a collaboration project with the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) student chapter and the American Democracy Project at the University of Nebraska Kearney. The Voting posters will be displayed around campus and the community until Election day. The design campaign was to raise voting awareness on campus and in the community.
This year, the voting project was a poster competition for the best individual design and best team voting topic. The poster competition was held at UNK's Student Union.
Vincent Carter, won the best voting Posters and
Erika Balzell, and Kristen White won the best team voting topic. See posters.
UNK Art Emeriti Faculty ExhibitionThe public is invited to the current exhibition in the Walker Art Gallery. Nine Emeriti faculty from the Art Department are showing works until October 26th. Artworks by John Dinsmore, Kern Harshbarger, Elmer Holzrichter, Jack Karraker, Keith Lowry, James May, Larry Peterson, Ray Schultze, and Gary Zaruba are part of the show. A reception will be held on October 4th from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at the Alumni House (2222 9th Ave). See photos
This summer, two new faculty members joined the UNK Department of Art and Art History. Dr. Lisa Kastello has been appointed head of the Art Education program, a position vacated by Donna Alden upon retirement last Spring. Dr. Kastello has an Ed.D. in curriculum leadership from Northern Illinois University (Dekalb), an MS in Art Education. Lisa Kastello has 15 years of experience as a high school art teacher, and taught in the School of Education at the University of Indianapolis prior to coming to UNK.
Stephanie Baer is also new to the Art Education program at UNK. Stephanie has an art certification, an MS in secondary teaching, and plans to receive her Ph.D. in education in this year. In addition to middle and high school teaching positions, she taught Elementary Art Methods at UNL. Both will join current Art Education faculty member, William Cavill, who is currently pursuing a Ed.D. with a specialization in instructional technology and Internet based education from UNL.
More faculty news
Victoria Goro-Rapoport (Print and Drawing) will be on sabbatical this academic year. She continues to exhibit her prints in juried exhibitions around the world.
Chad Fonfara (Sculpture & Glass) has been accepted into 5 national juried exhibitions across the US.
John Stanko (VCD & Illustration) will have works published in Spectrum 19, International Illustration. Recently, he has illustrated three book covers for the science fiction and fantasy publisher Nightshade, and has a contract with Impact Books as well. He was a guest artist and a panel speaker at professional gatherings in his field during the summer break.
Derrick Burbul has been in several national juried photography shows this summer.
John Fronczak was an invited artist during the most recent Spirit. exhibition and art auction at the Museum of Nebraska Art.
Department chair, Doug Waterfield, wrapped up exhibitions at two Smithsonian
affiliated science and history museums in Nevada, and has works on exhibit in Florida, Tennessee, and at the Strategic Air and Space Museum in Omaha.
student news
Two recent VCD students, Jake Hoffmaster and Daniel Dunbar, helped to design new reflective vehicle decals for the Nebraska State Patrol. Faculty members
Richard Schuessler (VCD), Bill Wozniak (Psychology), and Sherry Morrow (Nebraska Safety Center) have worked with students to develop and test the decals. The 6 cruisers are being field tested for conspicuity at the Nebraska Safety Center driving range and across the state of Nebraska.
Seven current VCD students worked on a project for the Nebraska Book Company. Two student designers Tiffany Hartwell and Danielle Olson had their design concept selected
to be part of a nation wide campaign ("Rental Book" and "Buy Back Program" promotion materials) starting later this fall.
On Friday, Alumni Erica Rowe (1997), Art Director at Bozell in Omaha, and Jared Rawlings (2006), Designer at Bailey Lauerman in Lincoln, reviewed the VCD senior show exhibitions and portfolios. Both also gave a presentation to design students about their careers and work in design firms. See photos
View Spring Senior Portfolios.
DAAKE owner speaks to VCD studentsVCD Alumnus Greg Daake (1995), owner of DAAKE
design firm in Omaha, spoke to design students on Wednesday. He described what employers
were looking for in employees, offered tips for resumes, portfolios, and general
presentation at interviews. See photos.
Ry Lowry and Sarah Epping were accepted into a First International Student Print Exhibition in Egypt. The show was held at El Minia University in conjunction with International Art Conference in March 2012. Both students were also chosen to be Featured Artists among about a 100 student artists represented on the Exhibition website. See prints.
Art Students are invited to an End of the Year BBQ picnic at Centennial Park
(Ramada on SW corner), on May 1st between 5 –7pm. Come for hotdogs, hamburgers, and good food. Play games, make tie-dye-t-shirts,
drawing for artworks, meet friends and have fun. See 2011 photos
Sign up now — just inside Room 311.
Annual Art Earth Day event set for Friday, April 20thAll Art students are invited to "get your hands dirty" at the Annual Earth Day potting event and celebration in the Art Department Courtyard. Help beautify the courtyard with bedding and potted flowers; all supplies will be provided. The potting begins on Friday 20th, at 10:00 in Room 303 (across from the courtyard) and will end at noon with celebration snacks. See photos
UNK Visual Communication and Design students won four silver awards in the District 9 regional ADDY Awards. Their works will automatically advance to the national competition. Braeden Tyma won with his logo design El Paso Diablos, Amanda Olson advanced with Seity clothing tags, Elizabeth Hudec received silver for her Asylum movie poster, and Lacie Wiese won for her t-shirt design Hope. View first round winners
Congratulations to Liz White and Lacie Wiese on their summer internships at Ervin and Smith. Considering the amount of effort that the firm spent at meet the pros and the number of students that they considered, the internships speaks well of both students. Ervin and Smith is a advertising, public relations, and marketing firm in Omaha Nebraska.
Two VCD students, Jake Hoffmaster and Daniel Dunbar, helped to design new reflective vehicle decals for the Nebraska State Patrol. Faculty members Richard Schuessler (VCD), Bill Wozniak (Psychology), and Sherry Morrow (Nebraska Safety Center) have worked with students to develop and test the decals. The cruisers will be field tested for conspicuity at the Nebraska Safety Center driving range soon. See photos
Graphic designer, Art Chantry, will speak at the University of Nebraska Kearney's Fine Art Building Recital Hall at 7:00pm on Wednesday, March 7th. His presentation is FREE! Sponsors: UNK Art Department, UNK Faculty Senate Artist & Lecture's Committee, DPI GRAPHICS, AIGA-UNK AND SCORR Marketing. Chantry's iconic "low-tech" designs are found on album covers for rock bands like Nirvana and Hole, to theater posters, to hand-spun identities. He has exhibited in major museums, including the Smithsonian and the Louvre. His exuberant "punk" remix of big vivid colors and quirky retro elements are informed by the history of design, but engage with a raucous, "roughed-up," energy. Be there on Wednesday. See photos
The annual Student Art Association exhibition is on display in the Walker Art Gallery. The juried exhibition, which is open to all UNK students, began on Monday, February 21st, and will be on display until March 16, 2012. Artwork categories include printmaking, photography, drawing, sculpture, glass, painting, graphic design, and ceramics.
A reception will be held between 4:30 and 6 p.m. on February 23. Winners in each category, and a best of show prize will be announced at that time.
UNK Graphic Design Major, Amanda Olson has been accepted as a design team member at
Bailey Lauerman. Bailey Lauerman looks "for students with a passion
for advertising, who are smart, have a strong work ethic, a collaborative spirit, leadership potential and
outstanding communication skills."
UNK Art's SAS and AIGA student art organizations will hold the 3rd Annual
Valentine s Day Card and Flower sale. Find them in Fine Arts Building hall between
Theater and Art, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., on February 14th. Proceeds to the Food Bank.
View Cards.
VCD students win 20 ADDY Awards including Best of Show.UNK Visual Communication and Design students won five gold awards,
thirteen silver awards, and a Best of Show award.
Braeden Tyma’s 16th Steet clothing tags won the “Best of Show” for student work.
Tyma also received a gold award for the tags. Other UNK gold award winners were
Alice Berryman for Drip Coffee packaging,
Gold Amanda Olson for The Next Step poster, Liz White, for Soda Can Updo illustration and
Kyle Sayler for The VCD Gang exhibition promotion.
Silver award winners included Lacie Wiese (2)
Amanda Olson,(2)
Liz White,(2)
Braeden Tyma, (2)
Kristin White,
Liz Hudec,
Kyle Hauer, logo
Kyle Sayler, logo
Logan Bartels, and
Alice Berryman. View more
Graphic designer extraordinaire, Art Chantry, will speak at UNK on Wednesday, March 7th, in the UNK Recital Hall at 7:00pm. Add this date on your calendars now. Design students are reviewing portfolios in preparation for AAF Meet the Pros event in Omaha on February 7th and 8th. The program is designed to prepare students for life after graduation. The event provides an opportunity for students to interact with working professionals and potential employers.
Guests reviewers speak to students and graduating VCD seniorsGuest reviewers Echo Chernik and alumni Casey Stokes (2006) of Daake design in Omaha, will review portfolios, and speak to VCD students this month. Internationally acclaimed Illustrator, Echo Chernik, will present a program for students and the public on Thursday evening, (see information below), and Daake Senior Designer, Casey Stokes will speak at 2 – 3 p.m. on Friday, December 2, in FAB room 312. A reception for VCD seniors with works in the Walker Art Gallery Senior Show will be held from 4 – 6 p.m. on December 2, 2011. Exhibitors are Nick Bartels, Caleb Chvatal, Mardi Engels, Allison Kuklis, Aranea Push, Kyle Sayler, and Leigh Sukraw. Their works have been on display since November 15th.
Three (3) VCD students win honorable mention at 2011 Flux CompetitionThree UNK VCD students received honorable mentions at the 2011 Annual Flux Student Design Competition. Dan Dunbar won a mention for his poster Malcontent. Kyle Sayler received mention for the poster Justice, and Amanda Olson won a mention award for her Seity clothing tags. The national Flux competition is sponsored by AIGA Blue Ridge.
Echo Chernik will present her work on Thursday December 1, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. in FAB 313. Echo has over fifteen years of experience as a professional commercial artist in the advertising field, and five years as an instructor of graphics and digital illustration at Pratt Institute, Westchester Community College, Marymount Manhattan and Skidmore CCI. She specializes in art nouveau influenced poster design, advertisements, package design and book covers. She is a traditionally trained artist. A graduate of Pratt Institute, and has done work for ANTA Shoes, Celestial Seasonings, Dave Matthew's Band, Disney, Miller Lite, NASCAR, Sears, Trek, USPS ... and many more. See examples of her work at: http://www.echo-x.com.
Mark your calendars now for a presentation by celebrity graphic designer, Art Chantry, on March 7th, 2012 UNK Recital Hall - 7:00 p.m. Chantry’s works include album covers and posters for bands like Nirvana, Hole, Sonics, as well as book covers, and logo design. Art will be available the following day to meet with students, review portfolios, etc. before returning to Tacoma, Washington.
VCD Students win Thirteen (13) Nebraska AIGA awardsVisual Communication and Design students received Nebraska AIGA
awards in 2011.
Amanda Olson won a gold award for her Seity clothing tag logo.
Liz White won a Silver award for her Linea Mae clothing tags logo.
Logan Bartels received a Silver for his Homeland Prepartation illustration.
Bronze award winners included: Alice Berryman (2), packaging and illustration;
Caleb Chvatal, poster;
Elizabeth Hudec, poster;
Kylie Hauer (2), sports logo and poster;
Kyle Sayler (2), logo and senior show promotion;
Braeden Tyma, logo;
Liz White, poster. See work.
The UNK Art Department, with the Glass and Sculpture Club (G.A.S), will host internationally renowned glass artist Boyd Sugiki and Lisa Zerkowitz of Seattle for a three-day glass workshop. The pair will present A Two Tone Artist Talk on November 9th, at 5:30 p.m. in FAB room 313. The public is welcome to attend this artist presentation.
The UNK Art Department presents it annual Halloween Pumpkin Carving Contest on October 31st,
from 11 a.m. to 3: p.m. Pumpkins will be lined up along the hall in the Fine Arts Building. The public is welcome to view the spooks
and vote for their favorite carvings (best, ugliest, and most creative). At 2 p.m, join the Pumpkin Chuckin' contest
in the Courtyard. UNK students, put on an original Halloween costume and join the contest to be judged at 2:30 p.m. in the Walker Art Gallery.
See photos
All Design and Multimedia students (majors and minors) must sign up for an
advising session this week. Signup schedules are just outside room 311.
Design and Multimedia Senior and Juniors will meet
with their advisors on Friday, October 21, 2011. Sophomores and Freshmen
will meet a week later, on Friday, October 28. For more information contact Professor Hartman.
Advisor for other art programs will meet with with students on
Friday, Nov. 4, 2011.
All advising sessions will be in FAB room 311,
at 9 – 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 – 3:00 p.m.
Professor Waterfield gave a lecture entitled "Doomtown: Images of Atomic Pop and Nuclear Testing" on October 9th at the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History (an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution). The lecture was the first in a new series at the museum entitled New Connections. One of his pieces was also selected for the juried 2011 Irene Rosenzweig Biennial Exhibition at the Arts and Science Center for Southeast Arkansas.
Chad Fonfara featured in magazine and at museumThe next issue of UNK’s New Frontiers Magazine will feature glass artist and UNK glass & sculpture assistant professor, Chad Fonfara, in a cover story. On October 8th, his solo exhibition entitled Nebraska Now: Chad Fonfara, Glass will open at the Museum of Nebraska Art. A Reception and artist presentation Cases and remains, about Fonfara's hand-blown glass series, will be held on Saturday, October 8th at 1:30 p.m. at MONA.
The UNK Art Glass and Sculpture Club (G.A.S), will hold their Autumnal Open House and Glass Fund-raiser on Friday, October 28th, 1 - 7:00 pm, at Otto Olsen "hot shop," room 137. This year, students will be selling glass pumpkins to help bring internationally renowned glass artist Boyd Sugiki and Lisa Zerkowitz from Seattle for a three-day glass workshop.
UNK Art Department is hosting the 2011 Nebraska Art Teachers Association (NATA) Fall Conference. On the weekend of September 23 and 24th, registered participants may attend a keynote by Martin Rosenberg, select from more than two dozen learning sessions, tours of the Museum of Nebraska Art (MONA), browse vendor displays, attend receptions, and celebrate art education in Nebraska at a banquet.
Walker Art Gallery, adjacent to the Art Department office (FAB room 301) is open on Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This fall, the gallery opened with a print exhibition by artist Susan Heggestad. Selected works from Nebraska Art Teachers Association are currently on display. An installation by artist Mark Hartman and Senior shows are scheduled. Read more.
Art students create memorial on 9/11 10th anniversaryA Memorial to the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attack was set up on the lawn outside FAB on Sunday, September 11, 2011. See photos.
Two (2) VCD students awarded AAF of Omaha scholarships.Congratulations to Amanda Olson and Lacie Wiese for their recent recognition by the American Advertising Federation of Omaha. Both student received $2,000 scholarships. The scholarships are based on GPA, extracurricular activities, and participation in the student advertising club. Read more.
The NAEA (National Art Education Association) Student chapter at UNK is an active organization that focuses on volunteering, usually in activities that provide opportunities for UNK students (do not have to be an art education major) to do art activities with children. We are active in the state organization (Nebraska Art Teachers Association, NATA) and at the National level. To get information about joining, please contact Dr. Donna Alden, Mr. Bill Cavill, or Amber Kosmicki (student chapter president).
The UNK Art Education program has 85 Art Education graduate students and 57 Undergraduate students.
Sign up for food, fun, friends and a t-shirt. The Annual Art Department BBQ will be held at Centennial Park, 5:30 to 7:30 pm on Thursday, April 28th. Eat, tie-dye your own colorful shirt, play in the sand, and win amazing prizes. See photos
Omaha designers Donovan Beery of Eleven 19 Design Studio, and
Adam Torpin of Oxide Design will judge the VCD Senior Show on Friday.
The UNK VC alumni will also speak at 2–3:30pm that day in FAB 312. The public is welcome to attend.
See more.
Seven VCD Seniors are participating in the Spring 2011 Senior Show in Walker Art Gallery. Daniel Dunbar, Jake Hoffmaster, Michael Kennedy, Julie Polk, Jaysie Ross, Yang Song, and Kat Tinkham are exhibitors. Their reception will be held on Friday, April 29th, 4–6pm at Walker Art Gallery.
Art students planted flowers in containers and courtyard garden to celebrate Earth Day on April 22, 2011. This annual events pits teams of students against pots, soil, and seedlings. The flowers will brighten the courtyard during the summer and fall. A party followed the planting. see photos
Six current or recent VCD students have been notified that they are National ADDY Award finalists,
so are eligible to enter the National competition
after winning gold or silver at both the state and then district levels.
Nick Bartels (Lincoln) received a gold award for Gonzo - clothing logo.
Jennifer Green (Lincoln) received a silver award for Chocolate Child Labor - poster.
Araena Push (Grand Island) received a silver for Kearney Catholic 50th Anniversary - logo.
Steve Wolf (Kearney) received a silver for Moo Juice - packaging
Sarah Miller (Imperial) received a silver for Nalu - clothing logo
Dan Danbar (Wahoo) received a silver for Batavia Muckdogs - team logo.
Congratulations Designers.
The UNK NAEA student chapter is holding their spring forum on Saturday in the FAB building. They will be holding several workshops and presentations and workshops for Culturally Responsive Educators. There will be three workshops offered: Hopi clay with Mark Tahbo, from First Mesa, encaustic (or beeswax) painting with Margaret Berry, Artist in Residence for the Nebraska Arts Council, and silk painting. For more information, call the Art Department at 308-865-8353 or send a message.
Assistant Professor Derrick Burbel (photography and foundation), received tenure at UNK this spring. •
Assistant Professor John Stanko (VCD), was recently acknowledged as one of top contemporary fantasy illustrators in the U.S., according
to Spectrum 18. His work will be published in the annual book with about 340 other artists in 2011.
The Selection was made from over 7, 000 entries juried by illustration luminaries Julie Bell, Nathan Fox, Greg Manchess, Brandon & Jarrod Shiflett,
Boris Vallejo, and Shena Wolf. •
Assistant Professor Chad Fonfara (sculpture) is the recipient of a public art commission in Salina, KS. He will be producing a
series of glass works to be placed along a bridge in that city. He was also informed that he has been accepted into the summer Corning glass
workshop again this year in Corning, NY. •
Department Chair Doug Waterfield’s painting appears in a photo accompanying an
article
about current museum exhibition published in the
St.
Louis Today newspaper.
Congratulations
to faculty members for the honors and recognition.
Six UNK Design Students won awards at the 2011 Brass Ring Awards held at Oklahoma Christian University. Brass Rings, a national competition, had over 2,000
entries in 2011. UNK Design student, Kyle Sayler, (Kearney) was awarded gold for his poster
Honor them, Vote.
Kyle also won a merit award for his
AGOGE T-shirt design.
Nick Bartels (Kearney) was awarded Bronze for
Gonzo logo design,
Julie Polk (Kearney) won a bronze award for
Copper Wire coffee packaging,
Kat Tinkham (Fort Calhoun) won Bronze for her Redtail Coffee packaging, and
Lacie Wiese (Doniphan) received Bronze for a
Vertigo movie poster.
Jake Hoffmaster (Lexington) won a merit award for
RidgeBack clothing tags.
Congratulations designers.