Design and Diversity – a Great Combination
When Alison Poor-Donahue, Chair of the Design & Digital Media department at Mount Ida College was approached about her students entering a poster design competition for the Arlington International Film Festival, the answer was a very quick “of course, my students would love the challenge.”
Not only would this be an excellent opportunity for students to get a glimpse into the industry, but it would offer a chance to create a beautiful portfolio piece that could help them launch their careers.
“Our graphic design program provides a solid skills-based foundation for visual communication including typography, branding, and digital production. At the same time it is very hands-on, giving the students as much real-world experience as possible,” says Poor-Donahue.
Involvement in exciting competitions such as this is at the core of the School of Design and Mount Ida College’s mission to provide career-relevant education. “We strive to have every student graduate with several examples of real-world projects in their portfolio. In fact, prospective employers see the value of hiring a Mount Ida College graduate because of these unique experiences and their understanding of how to produce a successful product from concept to execution,” says Poor-Donahue.
“The parents of our students are drawn to our curriculum due to its focus on preparing our students to compete for entry-level industry positions,” says Poor-Donahue.
As part of those real-world requirements to gain their degrees, students must not only complete internships, but they also are required to enter two competitions per year.
The Arlington International Film Festival knew of Mount Ida as one of their Advisors, Steven Jurgensmeyer is an adjunct faculty member at the Newton-based college. “The Arlington International Film Festival’s mission is to foster appreciation for different cultures by exploring the lives of people around the globe through independent film,” says festival organizer Alberto Guzman. “We knew that Mount Ida shared our mission, having one of the most diverse campuses and providing opportunities to many, many first-generation students. We knew it would be a perfect match.”
This year’s competition is open only to students at Mount Ida College. “The competition is interdisciplinary in the School of Design. We want our commercial photography and other design students to also try their hand. Our different majors expose students to all aspects of design, and a poster is an excellent vehicle to showcase many different skills, not just graphic design,” says Poor Donahue.
The posters will be judged by a panel of experts that includes:
Jennifer Cheng DesAutels – IIlustrator, logo designer and plein air artist.
Marc Gurton – Owner of 13FOREST Gallery in East Arlington, a contemporary art and craft gallery.
Niloufer Moochhala – Principal of Nymdesign, a multi-disciplinary graphic design studio specializing in print, web, and interactive media.
Jeannet Leendertse – Owner of jldesign and mooizeg. jldesign provides services to the publishing industry and those who look to publish independently.
Ingrid de Aguiar Sanchez who creates prints, drawings and installations that examine cultural and linguistic hybridism as a method of adaption and survival.
“Our graphic design program is multi-faceted, focusing on creativity, brainstorming and software expertise,” says Poor-Donahue. “Our faculty are all industry experts and our students are not only fine designers, but equipped with the skills they need to excel in the marketplace,” says Poor-Donahue.
The Mount Ida student-designed posters will be on view and the poster chosen to promote this year’s Arlington International Film Festival will be revealed at the Press Announcement/Reception on Thursday, April 21, 7:00 pm at the Arlington Center for the Arts. The chosen poster will become the symbol of this year’s stellar line up of films to be shown October 27 – 30 at The Capitol Theater in Arlington.
“Competitions like this help distinguish the Mount Ida graphic design program. Our students get a real-world experience in client relations, giving them a distinct edge in the demanding marketplace. We are pleased that the Arlington International Film Festival believes in what we do as well. They will not be disappointed.”
