Parkland College Graphic Design Student Show 2017

Parkland College Graphic Design Student Show 2017

Mon, May 15 - Thurs, June 1, 2017

View works in print, web, animation, motion design; includes May 17 reception 

Parkland College Graphic Design Student Show
May 15 through June 1, Giertz Gallery at Parkland College
Reception: Wednesday, May 17, 5-7 p.m. in the Gallery Lounge, with Award Ceremony at 6 p.m. and Music by the Parkland Guitar Ensemble

The Parkland College Graphic Design Student Show will be on display at the Giertz Gallery Monday, May 15 through Thursday, June 1. A reception honoring the students will be held Wednesday, May 17, from 5 to 7 p.m. in the gallery lounge with an awards ceremony scheduled for 6 p.m.

As with all events in the handicapped-accessible gallery, the exhibit and reception are free and open to the public.

The juried exhibit highlights work completed by students in the current academic year, beginning with summer 2016. Parkland Graphic Design and Interactive Design faculty jury the show and select the most imaginative, inspiring, distinctive, innovative, unusual and memorable pieces for display in the gallery. Then local industry professionals are invited to judge the show and select the awards. This year’s judges are Maria Ludeke, Design Studio Manager at Neutral Design Studio and Ralph Roether, Graphic Designer at Champaign Park District.

Works in the exhibit showcase creative solutions to design problems presented to students in Parkland’s Graphic Design, Interactive Design and Illustration studio classes. Expect to see traditional print media, motion graphics, logos, branding, packaging, menus, books, publications, posters, brochures, websites, video and illustration.

"As digital media takes over the world, designers have to respond to new trends," says professor Paul Young, Parkland's Graphic Design Program Director. "To succeed in today's competitive world, students need to learn every trick in the book and be comfortable working in print as well as on screens, be able to communicate visually and verbally, be able to harness the power of motion and interactivity, and be able to solve marketing problems, too. That's a pretty tall order for a two-year program, but our students are rising to the challenge."

During the May 17 reception, an awards ceremony honoring 2017 Graphic Design student achievements will take place at 6 p.m. "Students feel a sense of accomplishment when they see their work professionally displayed in the gallery," says graphic design instructor Liza Wynette. "It gives them the opportunity to show friends and family the results of their diligence during the past academic year."

Immediately after the awards ceremony, graphic design instructor Liza Wynette will give a gallery talk and guided tour of the exhibition. In an informal Q&A with select award winners, Liza will go behind the scenes and reveal how Parkland's Graphic Design and Interactive Design programs teach creative problem solving and design thinking.  Parkland College is one of the few community colleges in the US that offers a series of professional illustration courses. Students who take these hands-on studio art courses leave the class with functional commercial art samples for their portfolio.

Giertz Gallery summer hours are Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. To find the Gallery when classes are in session, use the M6 parking lot on the north corner of the campus. Enter through door X-7, turn left, and follow the ramps uphill to the highest point of the first floor, where the gallery is located.

This exhibit is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency. For more information, call Giertz Gallery Office at 217/351-2485 or visit www.parkland.edu/gallery.