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Studio and Digital Arts students win ADDYs
March 23, 2012 : By Drew Menard/Liberty University News Service
Left to right, John Gosslee, Roberta Dee Hall and Jon Allison won local ADDY Awards for their design work.
Three students from Liberty University’s Studio and Digital Arts (SADA) program received top honors at the Local Student ADDY Awards on March 10 in Roanoke, Va.
“This speaks well for the quality of instruction in the Studio and Digital Arts department and the skills our students bring to the marketplace,” said Todd Smith, SADA chair. “From the beginning our goal has been to provide an environment that encourages students to pursue artistic excellence that reflects God’s creativity and brings him glory, not just in the classroom, but in real-world settings.”
The ADDYs are hosted by the American Advertising Federation (AAF) and is the industry’s largest and most representative competition worldwide, drawing over 60,000 entries annually. The competition is three tiered, with local, regional and national judging. Gold award winners automatically advance to the next round.
Senior Jon Allison received gold for his “Air Canada” poster. His poster “Fontstaches” (entered under the same category as “Air Canada”) also earned a Judges Choice award and silver in its respective category. Allison received a second silver for his logo “Libby Hunt Camp.”
“My life as an artist from the time I was 8 years old has been a long journey, but God has been there every step of the way and has guided me from my first half-decent drawing to a gold ADDY,” Allison said. “Without God, I am nothing.”
He attributes his success in part to the SADA faculty who have mentored him through encouragement and critique.
“The opportunity that has been provided to me here at Liberty … has been a huge contribution to who I am as a designer,” Allison said.
John Gosslee, who graduated from the department in December, and senior Roberta Dee Hall claimed gold honors for their editorial design cover “Fjords Issue 2 Cover.”
“Liberty equipped me with the skills to match my pursuits,” Gosslee said. “To win the award for my magazine Fjords’ cover is pretty cool, especially since it was just our second issue.”
Gosslee has also received award nominations for his book, “12: Sonnets for the Zodiac.” The book was published last October and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Library of Virginia Award. Gosslee recently completed a two-month, five-state book tour while completing his academic degree at Liberty.
Hall also took silver for her book cover “Covers of Type” and her poster campaign “Respect Campaign.”
“This award makes a great impact on my resume, especially since I want to go into publication design. I’m so thankful for getting this type of recognition for the work that I’ve been doing,” Hall said.
- The Liberty University Department of Studio and Digital Arts, which has an enrollment of over 500, is housed in the School of Communication and offers majors in Graphic Design, Studio Art and Studio Art with Teacher Licensure. The department also offers minors in Graphic Design, Studio Art and Photography.
