Digital Media Arts gala showcases student work

Janna Kryscynski (left), a student who works at the production center, talks to Mike Lovelace about his graphic design projects at the Digital Media Arts Gala. Lily Merritt | Washtenaw Voice

By Lilly Kujawski
Editor

The Morris Lawrence building buzzed with proud parents, interested guests and excited students for the 2019 Digital Media Arts Gala, which featured the works of students graduating from graphic design, photography, animation and videography programs.

Roughly 40 students had tables set up, at which photographers and graphic designers displayed their works. In a separate room, a show reel featuring animation projects from students was shown hourly. Video students got to see their work on the big screen in Towsley Auditorium, which also included a film competition.

One photography student, Bridget Shearon, had on display some colorful photos taken through a microscope lens.

“They’re really not about the science, it’s more the color design,” said Shearon of the photos. “They’re really more fine art.”

Steve Goossen, a photography student finishing the program, said most of his inspiration comes from the evolution of painting styles; he noted how many painters transitioned from realistic paintings of what they saw in the outside world, to more abstract expressions of their emotions. Goossen hopes to accomplish something similar in his photography.

“The inspiration was trying to just do something that no one’s done before, and it’s hard to do that in photography,” Goossen said. “There’s like, a million, billion images uploaded everyday.”

“I think that’s what we’re all struggling to do, as photographers in the department, is come up with new things,” he added.

Goossen was recently awarded an installation for one of his photography projects, “16mm,” to be displayed at the first annual Rat Queen Vintage Window Takeover in Hamtramck. The installment opened on May 4.

Graphic designer Mary Huotari said she finds inspiration for her work in the outdoors and in her travels. She said sceneries in nature, such as a waterfalls, give her ideas for her work.

“I also love to go to cities and towns, and kind of just see what kind of printed materials they have in there, what kind of type they’re using,” Huotari said. “I get a lot of inspiration from their different color choices.”

Students in the animation program had their clips shown in another room and their work featured a variety of subjects, including pirates, dragons, cars, animals, mythological creatures and videogame sequences. Many of the character pieces were built by hand.

Linda Blakey, vice president of student and academic services, was in attendance at the event and said the digital media arts gala is one of her favorite WCC events of the year.

Kimberly Hurns, vice president of instruction, shared Blakey’s sentiments about the gala.

“I’m always really, really impressed by the digital media arts gala; I think it’s probably one of the best showcases of our student work in one place on campus,” Hurns said. “You can see from the work they’re doing that they’re prepared to go out in the workforce.”

Hurns added that some changes have been made to the animation program at WCC, bringing more focus to artificial intelligence and videogame programming, and she can already see its impact on the animation students’ work.

“You can see in one year’s time the changes in that program showing up in students’ work,” she said.

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