Springfield, Ohio -Illustrating the strength of Wittenberg’s collaborative efforts that make a difference in the community, the Art Department has been recognized once again for its annual Empty Bowls fundraiser, as the 2014 Empty Bowls promotional poster was selected a GDUSA American Graphic Design Awards 2014 competition winner.

Assistant Professor of Art Crispin Prebys and Hannah Fournier, class of 2014 from Dayton, Ohio, designed the poster, which was selected out of more than 8,000 entries from a broad range of media areas. Their winning design will appear in the November/December issue of Graphic Design USA, which has a circulation of more than 100,000 print copies.

“We wanted to incorporate the idea of the many mouths that need to be fed, but the lack of food available to those in need,” said Fournier, who designed the poster through the Art Department’s graphic design program, Craft: A Design Collaborative, which Prebys created in spring 2013 to give students the opportunity to gain professional design experience outside of the classroom. Prebys served as the Creative Director of the poster project.

Hosted by Wittenberg’s Department of Art and Catholic Charities, with support from local sponsors and donors, the 20th annual Empty Bowls event, held March 20, 2014, raised $45,345 for the Second Harvest Food Bank, which equates to 181,380 meals for those in need. The total funds raised for the event during its 20-year run is $314,345, which equates to more than 1.25 million meals for those in need in Clark, Champaign and Logan counties.

“Many people think that graphic design is just making things look aesthetically pleasing, but it is much deeper than that. Powerful messages can be portrayed through a poster design such as this and connect with people on an intellectual level,” said Fournier, who plans to pursue graduate studies in graphic design.

“Attending a liberal arts school has helped me become more creative. Because of my background in mathematics, education and art, as well as my exploration in philosophy and the social sciences, I have a more well-rounded view of the world, which is vital in graphic design. It allows to me understand clients’ needs as well as the ideas I need to visually communicate,” she adds.

Fournier also credits much of her success and growth as a designer to opportunities for working closely with faculty at Wittenberg.

“Professor Prebys has been an amazing mentor and teacher. Without his honest feedback and willingness to push me to the next level, I would not have succeeded as much as I have.”