Artists. They pour their hearts and souls into their craft, spending hours perfecting details most wouldn’t even notice. They use their medium to translate and personify complex emotions and concepts, so that average-joes like us simply have to examine and interpret. But in many ways, designers have it even harder. Steve Jobs once said, “design is not just how it looks and feels, but how it works.”

Last week was the opening reception for Multimedia, Graphic Design & Illustration Student Showcase in the Colorado Gallery of the Arts at ACC. During the evening of April 27th, these talented student-designers presented their final portfolios and reflected on their experiences.

Students in Capstone, or MGD 289–the final class prospective graphic designers take–rushed to get their final portfolios ready. They each had a small collection posted on the walls and a computer-display cycling through more pieces; many displayed their personally designed resumes or business cards. A sense of relief and satisfaction could be felt in each of them, despite the stress of getting ready for such an important showcase.

After everyone got settled and had a chance to peruse the artwork, Multimedia, Graphic Design & Illustration department faculty members John Hall and Tom DeMoulin took the podium and praised the students for their hard work. Awards were given to various artists, then each Capstone student had a chance to talk about their experiences and share their favorite pieces.

First up was Alyssa Quispe, who won the ‘Best of Show’ award. Quispe created a beautiful design for Harvest House, emphasizing fresh colors and grains to match the restaurant’s products: food and beer. Dean Sanders, a South-Africa native, discussed his growth as a designer. Following them was Tatiana Barela, who produced the fliers for ‘Catalyst’; she found her creative drive when she began working on designs that would appeal to women.

Natalia Lebsack was admired for the illustration of her dog. She experimented with a design style called low-poly to create it, but added detail to make it her own. Next up was Linda Wheeler, who was beaming with professionalism; she created a book cover for an eager client. Amy Roy chose to review her work on some unique Bob Dylan tee-shirts; she was happy she had the freedom to pick the idea. Darren Kirsche followed, a designer proud of his emphasis on brand identity and work with a company’s icons.

Kirsche commended his fellow artists: “See[ing] the progression that all of us have had is really cool.”

Marcelo Cazon gave an inspiring speech, discussing his two-year-old daughter and his inspiration for his poster design for the Denver Zoo. Kathryn Powers also completed designs for the Zoo, working to elevate their logo and much more. Last to speak was Alyssa Carter, who started in fine arts. Through design she was able to build a brand—logos, business cards, etc.—for a new business just starting out.

After each designer spoke, everyone was once again free to roam the gallery and examine the breathtaking designs.

The work of these ten students is the focus of the show, but believe it or not, there’s even more to see. Opposite the Capstone displays, a portion of the gallery is devoted to the work of both concurrent enrollment and traditional students. These artists had to enter their work for a chance to be displayed, so some quality pieces really stood out.

One student, Megan Anderson, created a beautiful portrait that looks more like a photograph than an illustration. At first glance, it would appear that the hyper-realistic piece was an edited photo. But surprisingly, only Adobe Illustrator, a program for building compositions from scratch, was used to produce it.

There’s still time to come and see all the artwork for yourself. The Colorado Gallery of the Arts is open Monday through Friday from 8am to 7pm and is located on the first floor of the annex building, room A1300. ‘Catalyst’ will be on display through May 8^th.

In these last few days of school, come to the gallery and support these talented designers. It might be just the kind of study-break you need.

All photos courtesy of Bryden Smith.