Designing artists: Students’ talents showing on campus
Meridian Community College Graphic Design Technology Program students will have more
samples to add to their resume portfolios thanks to participation in an ongoing campus-wide
project, Art on Campus Initiative.
Program Coordinator and Instructor Daniel Ethridge is guiding his second and first-year students in developing art on campus, including painting above-ground utility boxes, water boxes, and a large mural. During the semester, Ethridge noted that students in the program work on 35 to 40 graphic design projects to ultimately prepare them to work in the design industry.
Before semester break, students were putting the finishing touches on their designs for the seven water boxes in which the art will be submitted, judged, and installed.
Angel Plott, 20, of Meridian, created her design reaching back to an ancient time. "In Egyptian design, they use cats by the water, so I thought of that and went with it. But I limited it to five colors to keep the design cohesive and used high contrast so it will look like it all goes together," she said. One of her career aspirations is to work on character animation and eventually become a showrunner.
"I thought it would be cool not to express what we did in words but in art – show
what we have to offer," said Cora Manning, 18, of Neshoba Central, about her work
on the water box design. She chose her sample to reflect various items that represent
MCC. "I did the Eagle's eye and wings. For some of our Career and Technical Education
programs, I made logos for them," Manning said. When she finishes the program, she
hopes to find a job in the design industry, creating logos.
Marquez Kennedy, 18, of Meridian, wanted to create something simple for his submission, employing the theme of "less is more."
Kennedy said, "I've been drawing for a long time, so I naturally gravitate toward graphic design," citing his reason for changing his major from engineering to design.
When Spring Semester 2023 gets fully underway, Ethridge said he's looking forward to having the winning designs approved for the large-scale outdoor murals. "It will take anywhere from a week to three weeks to do one because we want everyone in the program to have a thorough understanding of the process," he said.
"The Art on Campus initiative came from a desire to bring life to areas across campus," said Leia Hill, vice president for institutional advancement and executive director of the MCC Foundation. "We met several times to discuss designs and locations, and we are excited to see the campus covered in the work of our students," she said.