Art + Media + Design Students Showcase Alumni Gift Project

Puzzles, plush keychains, sunglasses and stickers were among the creative works featuring Warrior flair that were showcased by students in East Stroudsburg University’s Art + Media + Design program during an end-of-the-semester presentation on Tuesday, May 6.

Students in Associate Professor of Art + Media + Design Xue (Stella) Dong’s ART 255 Materials and Processes class spent several weeks designing and developing the items as potential gifts that will be given to Art + Media + Design graduates at the upcoming Alumni Biennial celebration in October.

Wyatt Almer, Stacy Almonte, Kelsey Foy, Connor Gernhardt, Bega Gotor, Aidan Heist, Ana Kuser, Tamera Omowale, Morgan Randolph, Matthew Teada and Adia Vallon presented designs to their classmates and program faculty in attendance to provide helpful feedback.

Teada, a rising senior, presented a custom-made hand sanitizer case featuring the ESU mark and the text, “A+M+D Alumni.” It was designed with specifications that allow it to fit over most 1 oz. bottles and was produced with a 3D printer, he explained in his presentation.

Teada said constructive feedback is key to effective design, since it helps provide a perspective other than the artist’s. Even more so, Teada is looking forward to hearing the thoughts of program alumni once they see the gifts, he said.

“It’s an enlightening experience because these alumni were once where I’m at, so their opinion on the products they’re given is really valuable to me,” he said.

Randolph, who created a puzzle with sliding pieces featuring the Warrior mascot, developed her design with interactivity in mind.

“Fidget toys are in right now, so it’s something to keep you occupied and is a little brain teaser as well,” she said.

Randolph went through several prototypes before reaching her final design, which took nearly four hours to produce.

“It’s an interesting process to go through 3D printing and finding the right things that work together and ultimately making the product the best that it can be,” she said.

The projects were required to have ESU and/or Art + Media + Design branding, be produced using equipment in ESU’s 3D Printing and Product Design Lab facilities, and be functional, Dong said. Making alumni the target audience encouraged students to explore their creativity in a way that fostered ESU pride.

“By doing this service-learning project, students were able showcase belonging with the university and demonstrate creativity through their designs,” Dong said. Other service-learning projects in Dong’s class over the past two years include the Way of the Warrior Bracelet, Squishy Toy, Movable Anatomy Model, and Field Hockey Helmet Design.

Students will continue to fine-tune their designs in the fall semester leading up to the Art + Media + Design Alumni Biennial, she added.

The first Alumni Biennial was held in 2023 and featured an exhibition in ESU’s Madelon Powers Gallery that showcased the work of more than a dozen program graduates working in photography, graphic design, animation, cinematography, sound recording, fine art and art education.

Learn more about the Art + Media + Design Department.

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