Poster Sales at UWG to Aid Japan

A graphic design assignment at the University of West Georgia will also aid victims of the Japan earthquake and tsunami.

The final assignment in David Short’s Graphic Design 2 studio class was to develop a social or political poster.

“With the timing of the disaster, and it having such a profound effect on so many people, I thought why not merge the two,” Short said.

Kevin Shunn, chairman of the Art Department, gave the go-ahead for the fund-raising effort. The seven students in Short’s class developed and refined their designs; then art professors chose the top three.

Those three will be reproduced and offered for sale starting May 12 at the Art Department’s offices in UWG’s Humanities building. The cost of the limited, signed editions will be $20 each. The money raised will be donated to the Red Cross. In all, 25 prints of each design will be made.

To buy a poster or for more information call the Art Department at 678-839-6521.

Short worked with UWG’s Art Student Union to set up the fund-raising mechanism. Southwire, the primary sponsor of the effort, donated $1,750 for the printing costs. Two Atlanta companies also helped. Imagers reduced its price for the print run and 12oclockmedia donated $1,000.

All seven of the student posters will be exhibited in the UWG gallery from May 16 to May 27. A closing reception will be held on May 27 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Kaley Sullivan, a junior, used a subdued image of the flooding and debris as the background. A cherry blossom tree floats above the word “Hope.”

“I wanted to show some of the destruction, but not be too in your face about it,” said Sullivan, 21, who is from Blairsville.

For Sullivan, the cherry blossom represents Japan’s ability to pull out of the tragedy with help.

“They can do this,” she said. “Let’s pull together and grow from this.”

The iconic red and white Japanese rising sun dominates Casey Sherman’s design. In silhouette are cherry blossoms and a Japanese garden and temple. The words are simple: RESTORE Japan.

“I have the sun in the background, symbolizing hope and restoration,” said Sherman, 21, a junior from Newnan.

Words are the image in Ashley Schooley’s design. In red is her message: “With your help and generosity, we can provide relief and help restore Japan. Come together, provide hope.”

Words in gray say what actually happened in March. In white are the words associated with the destruction.

“I put them in white so they would recede, so you wouldn’t really focus on that,” said Schooley, 20, who is from Villa Rica.

In black are words associated with Japanese culture. All together the words form the Japanese archipelago.

Short hopes to assign more real world projects in the future.

“To me, it becomes critical to see projects in context,” he said. “Design can make a difference. It’s not just ‘here’s logo, here’s brochure, here’s a website.’ What can you do to effect change through your design ideas?”