USM Art and Design’s Senior Show in Graphic Design Set for April 21

Wed, 04/20/2022 - 09:47am | By: Ivonne Kawas

Artwork by seniors in the Art and Design program, housed in the School of Performing and Visual Arts at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM), will be on exhibit for its 2022 Annual Senior Show, from April 21 through April 29 on the Hattiesburg Campus. An awards ceremony will be held on April 21 at 6 p.m.

John Mark Lawler, Associate Professor and Graphic Design Area Coordinator, says that the capstone exhibition has always shown the exceptional work produced by graphic design students, and this year is no exception.

“The seniors have been working hard all semester,” Lawler said. “I am amazed year after year with the level of talent and dedication to the craft of design that our students display.”

Linh Nguyen, Assistant Professor of Art and Design, reflects on the growth displayed by this cohort.

“They were the first group of students that I taught when I came to USM three years ago,” Nguyen said. “Since the first day they stepped into my design class until now, I have seen how much they have grown.”

The show features the final capstone projects of seniors in Graphic Design. The list of seniors featured in the show is as follows: Sydney Beech, Hannah Cantrell, Gabe Carter, Reilly Cole, Ali Coleman, Anna Denette, Caitlin Finch, Christian Gammill, Tricia Hughes, Brant Jambon, Breanna LaBorde, James Riggs, Noah Rogers, Maddie Seale, Georgia Shows, Ujwal Sunuwar, Keely Trail, Zachary Walker, and Gabrielle Whitecotton.

Sydney Beech, a Graphic Design student and native of Ellisville, Miss., reflects on both the challenges and rewards that came from her capstone experience, and how special it was to watch the students in her cohort bring their projects to life over the past few months.

“While at USM, one of the most important skills I’ve learned is perseverance. Keep working hard even when things get tough, and you will be able to look back on those times or that project and be proud of yourself,” Beech said. “Moving on into the workforce is pretty scary, but I believe that USM and the graphic design program have eloquently prepared me for this next step!”

“Our senior capstone show is one of those exhibits that really brings the wow factor and showcases the full capabilities of what our students can do,” said Jacob Cotton, Associate Professor of Design. “It really means a lot that we are able to have this show back in the gallery and open to the public so that people can see this show."

The exhibit can be viewed at the Gallery of Art and Design in the George Hurst Building Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. For questions about the Senior Graphic Design Show, contact Mark Rigsby at 601.266.5200.

Learn more about the Art and Design program.