Entertainment Design Students Attend Comics Convention

UW Stout Entertainment Design students in the Comics Concentration exhibited at the Midwest Comic Book Association’s FallCon convention, held October 5th at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. The event was an overwhelming success as the students sold out of their mini-comics and practiced professional networking and etiquette by seeking critiques from the established industry figures attending the convention.

Visiting Comics Artist Tyler Page

Tyler Page is the Xeric award winning author of graphic novels Stylish Vittles, Nothing Better, and the upcoming drawn memoir Raised on Ritalin.

He visited the Entertainment Design program on April 17th and critiqued student work in Comics, Animation, and Entertainment Design Senior Seminar, presenting his own work in a public lecture later that evening.

After the lecture there was a signing of Tyler's work and of the student mini comic anthology in the lobby of Micheels Hall. Students were deeply engaged and look forward to applying his advice about time management and research to their upcoming projects.

Orangeseed Designers Presentation a Smashing Success

Organized by Interactive Design Professor Robert Fraher, David Molanphy, member of the School of Art and Design Professional Advisory Board and Creative Director of Orangeseed, visited UW Stout on May 1st.

David was joined by Mike Voermans, a senior developer at Orangeseed, who is also a Stout alum. The two of them addressed their working methodologies and their shared opinions on important information related to interactive design with a crowd of enthralled design students.

Student Artist in Residence - May 2, 2013

An artists’ reception for the Bud and Betty Micheels Student Artist in Residence Program was held Thursday, May 2 from 4:00-6:00 PM in the Atrium of the University Library, Robert S. Swanson Library and Learning Center. The show featured work by Diana Witcher and Trevor Knapp. A selection of pieces were chosen for the library.  Next year's Student Artists in Residence were announced. Congratulations to Keith Catalano and Alexandra Schultz!

 

 

BWBR Interior Design Competition!

Check out these images from the annual BWBR Interior Design Prize Competition.  The first picture includes all of the Round 2 students and BWBR Judges (Rachel Slette, Hanna Kuehl, Don Thomas) and the final picture is of the Final Round selected students who participated this past weekend at BWBR (Heather Behrendt, Joanna Svendsen, Natalia Haywood).  Natalia was selected as the winner of the $1000 Prize!

Fashion Without Fabric

By now, most people in Art and Design are familiar with “Fashion Without Fabric,” the annual, one-of-a-kind artistic event that takes place each spring. Many students have already experienced the challenge of putting together a wearable, functional piece that also dazzles. For anyone who hasn’t, we’ve got the inside scoop. Megan Kallevig, from Daniel Atyim’s 3D class, is one of the many students who took part on Saturday, April 13.

With a partner, Kallevig constructed a costume made with VHS tape, wire, hot glue and more than 2,000 googly eyes. The project took an estimated 60 hours to complete.

Kallevig said that the hardest part was in the planning stages when trying to come up with workable ideas.  The best part was when the piece was completed, “where you see what you made – and see that what you made works. It all pays off in the end.” From the experience, she said that she learned how to plan better and to be realistic, especially when working in three dimensions.

Students in 3D Design courses got to choose what they made as long as their creation fit with the theme. They consulted with their instructors to get suggestions on obstacles and challenges they might face with their designs.  Students had two weeks to construct their pieces.

The show featured nearly 80 different costumes, most of which were made by teams of two or three students. Many different types of materials were used including tarps, tablecloths, molded plastic, cardboard, paper, wire and, of course, duct tape. Most materials were provided, but specialty items –  such as the googly eyes Kallevig used – were purchased by the students.

After two weeks of construction, students took their creations through a dress rehearsal on the Thursday before the show. On the day of the event, they came early to have photos taken of each of the costumes. The show itself involved waiting backstage until it was their model’s turn to go, and then waiting for the judges to make a decision. Afterwards, the audience, creators, and models mingled at a packed reception in the Fireside Room.

For Kallevig, the experience was a positive one. Although she would have liked more time for construction, she said the process was fun and that she “would do it again. Differently.”

More than 700 people attended the event.

The event was even covered by Volume One magazine. To see their article, follow this link: http://volumeone.org/photos/sets/2013/04/15/1509_fashion_without_fabric_2013-1

-hdm

Student Art Deco Exhibition at the Mabel Tainter Theatre

Recently, several art and design students took a trip through the past - through their artwork. Art Deco is a distinctive design style that was popular in the 1920s, 30s, and 40s. Students in Dr. Julie Peterson's Lighting Design class, Nancy Blum-Cumming's 3D course, and both Susan Hunt's and Masako Onodera's Art Metals classes explored the style in some of their class projects, which will be featured at the Mabel Tainter Center for the Arts. The show will be held April 4 - May 3, 2013. A reception will be held April 17th at 6:30pm at the center. Special guest speaker Dr. Andrew Williams will give a lecture about Art Deco Style following the reception. This is an excellent chance for you to learn about this historic movement, and see tangible, student-made examples of the style. Don't miss out! -hdm