Winners Announced for the 2018 Graphic Design Student Show

Yesterday evening at the 2018 Parkland Graphic Design Juried Exhibition opening reception, six students split $1,100 in cash awards for exhibiting excellent work.

Every spring, the students in Parkland’s Graphic Design and Interactive Design Programs showcase their best work in the Giertz Gallery at Parkland College. 177 entries were received this year and a jury of Parkland’s design faculty selected 130 of those for inclusion in the show.

This year, we had $1,100 in prize money available. Most of the awards were donated by local businesses and supporters of Parkland’s Graphic Design and Interactive Design programs. These friends include Surface 51, The Robeson Family, [co][lab], the Champaign County Stormwater Partnership, and the Champaign-Urbana Design Org (CUDO), who all donated cash awards. CUDO was also the co-sponsor of the opening reception.

Two industry professionals were invited to come in to select the award winners. This year’s judges were David Michael Moore, a freelance graphic designer, illustrator & facilitator; and Natalie Fiol, a graphic designer at the University of Illinois’s College of Fine + Applied Arts and resident photographer of Dance at Illinois. Natalie was also an alumni of Parkland’s Graphic Design program from 2012. Their task was to find the 11 best pieces in the show and then select the one piece that would receive the coveted “best of show” award.

“I felt creatively rejuvenated and inspired after judging the 2018 Parkland College Graphic Design Student Show,” said Natalie Fiol. “Overall, the work features a nice mix of playful, classic, and contemporary styles and the illustration work was particularly strong this year. It was an honor to have a voice in the selection of this year’s awards.”

“I was very impressed with the selection for this year’s show,” added David Michael Moore. “I’m excited for this next wave of design coming from Parkland College!”

More than 200 industry professionals, alumni, friends, family, and students attended the reception. At 6:30 p.m., each of the winners were acknowledged with a round of applause, a certificate, and a check.

Here’s who won (clicking on an image below will open a larger image in a new window):

• Graphic Design Best of Show

• Illustration Best of Show (sponsored by The Robeson Family)

• President’s Award of Excellence

• Surface 51 Award of Excellence

• Surface 51 Excellence in Typography Award

• [co][lab] Award of Excellence

• CUDO Award of Excellence

• Electric Pictures Award of Excellence

• Champaign County Stormwater Partnership Environmental Stewardship Award

• David M. and Shirley A. Jones Student Art Award

• Fine & Applied Arts Department Chair Award

The 2018 Parkland Graphic Design Student Juried Exhibition will continue in Parkland’s Giertz Gallery through May 31. Summer gallery hours are Monday–Thursday, 10am–7pm (closed Friday, Saturday and Sunday).

To see more examples of student work from Parkland’s Graphic Design and Interactive Design programs, please visit our virtual galleries.

[Paul Young is the program director of Graphic Design at Parkland College.]