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SADA student work featured in ‘Best of 2016 Photography’ publication

Five students/recent graduates from Liberty University’s Studio & Digital Arts Department (SADA) were recognized as finalists in Photographer’s Forum Magazine’s Worldwide Spring Photography contest.

The 36th annual competition had entries from more than 3,000 amateur photographers with 11,000 photographs entered. All finalists have their work featured in the publication’s “Best of 2016 Photography,” which was released this month.

The finalists from Liberty were recent graduates Kevin Scott, Jessica Kroskie, and Kat Hunter, who just finished her first semester of graduate school at Liberty, and current students Karinna Johnston, a junior, and senior Charles Harrell. (See a gallery of the winning work below; Kroskie did not provide her work for this story.)

“These accomplishments once again reflect the role the SADA faculty play in mentoring our students, who reap the benefit of working with professors with years of ‘real world’ experience,” said Todd Smith, SADA chair.

Last year, four Liberty students and a recent graduate were featured as finalists in the “Best of Photography 2015” publication.

“Our School of Communication & Creative Arts students are storytellers, regardless of their discipline,” said Dr. Norman Mintle, dean of Liberty’s School of Communication & Creative Arts. “These photographers are proving the power of the visual story — especially in this art form. We are very proud of the recognitions they’re receiving.

“The goal of our faculty is to provide academic, professional and spiritual preparation for our students aimed at the careers into which God calls them,” Mintle added. “These awards are an indication that this three-part approach is reaping world class results.”

Harrell, who is studying Digital Media with a minor in photography, submitted a picture titled “Doyle River Falls.” The photographer captured the stillness of a waterfall in the middle of winter, something Harrell says really shows the beauty of God’s creation.

“The long exposure effect helps to emphasize the peacefulness of the falls, and the timing of day was perfect to light up the water and rocks,” Harrell said of his photograph. “The water flow was superb this day, making the falls look amazing in this prime condition.”

Liberty’s Studio & Digital Arts Department launched a Master of Fine Arts program and a Bachelor of Fine Arts program in 2015. A bachelor’s degree is also available with concentrations in graphic design, studio art, and teacher licensure. Minors are offered in photography, graphic design, and studio art.

The university was ranked in the top 20 best online bachelor’s in graphic design programs for 2017 by BestDegreesProgram.org. The ranking is determined by consulting the NCES College Navigator database to find schools that offer online graphic design degrees or related programs.

“We began this semester with a strong showing in the Adobe Academic Achievement awards, which includes art schools from around the world,” Smith said. “We’re continuing the momentum with the news of the Photographer’s Forum Competition and the news about our online BFA in Graphic Design ranking.  Our students have shown that they can compete not only on the national, but also international stage.”

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