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MILLIGAN COLLEGE, Tenn.(Nov. 8, 2017)— The inaugural class of Milligan College graphic design majors present an exhibition of their senior portfolios in a gallery setting on November 12-30 in the Milligan Art Gallery located inside Derthick Hall. The opening reception will occur on Sunday, Nov. 12, from 2-4 p.m., and it is free and open to the public.
The seniors include Megan Gaylor, of Knoxville, Tennessee; Keila Lau-Lopez, of Washington, D.C.; and Candace Tingle, of Kingsport, Tennessee, who will showcase their creative skills in print design, digital illustration, type design, package design and other digital media.
“The exhibit will not only feature projects from upper-level graphic design courses, but also work the students have created for the Milligan community and organizations throughout our region, including internship and work experiences available through the program,” said Art Brown, assistant professor of communications. “I’m proud of the work Megan, Keila and Candace have done over the past few years as the first graphic design majors at Milligan, and I’m excited to have them to share their portfolios in a gallery setting.”
Gaylor is pairing majors in graphic design and business administration, focusing in marketing, to hopefully one day work for an advertising agency in a big city.
“When I think about design, I think about inspiring people by solving problems in an innovative way with solutions that I think will excite people,” said Gaylor. Her self-promotion project, a pyramid-shaped box that includes her personal logo design and contains a portfolio book, resume and business card inside, won “Student Best of Show” at the American Advertising Awards in 2016.
“I was inspired by perfume packaging and really wanted to create a design that marketed myself in a unique way to potential employers,” she said.
Tingle said she enjoys using typography, which is the art of designing written language. One of her pieces, the cover for Milligan’s literary journal, “The Phoenix,” spells the name in a bold, colorful way.
“Typography affects how the viewer will think about and connect with the piece,” said Tingle, who hopes to find a career combining her studies in graphic design and public relations.
According to Lau-Lopez, the goal of her piece was to focus on opposites and “explore the contrast between my photographic work and the clean line/type-driven style of my graphic art.” She is also is majoring in photography and plans to attend graduate school.
“This exhibit marks a strong beginning for the program here at Milligan,” said Brown. “My hope is that it becomes an annual event where Milligan design students can showcase their talents.”