Digital art & design students in Eastern Connecticut State University’s Art 335: Graphic Design course collaborated with Windham Hospital’s Auxiliary to enhance the theme of the hospital’s 2019 fundraising gala. Held at Horizon’s in South Windham, the gala’s theme this year was “Sous La Mer” (Under the Sea).

The 15 students enrolled in the class created large-scale posters and submitted them for consideration for the event. Only one student’s work was chosen to represent the theme of the gala, but all student work were on display as auction items at the event.

The curriculum of the Art 335 Graphic Design course offers students a pre-professional experience in art and design by giving them the opportunity to work with a real client on a community-centered project. Students in this year’s course collaborated with the executive director of the Windham Hospital Foundation, Shawn Maynard, under the guidance of Art Professor June Bisantz. They responded to Maynard’s request, prepared work to present to him as options and underwent the competitive process of submitting work for selection and approval.

For Sous La Mer, students were tasked with creating large-scale posters, using evocative imagery and typographic designs to illustrate quotes about the sea from authors, statesmen, artists and philosophers such as Vincent Van Gogh, Herman Melville, John F. Kennedy and Kalil Gibran.

Maynard worked with his staff and Bisantz to develop a vision for the event, resulting in a beautiful and mysterious aquatic atmosphere that transformed Horizon’s event space into a magical under-the-sea world. The winning design was created by Art major Alexandra Gugliotti `19 of Wolcott. Gugliotti was inspired by deceased French theologian, organist, philosopher, physician and medical missionary Albert Schweitzer.

Pleased with the work that Eastern students created, Maynard and his team decided to use all 15 designs as items for the silent auction at the event, giving students the opportunity to have their work seen and purchased.

“The posters are amazing! Eastern students are full of talent and I’m happy to say that my home is now blessed with a Tae Kim poster,” said Kristine Fletcher, administrative assistant of fund development at Windham Hospital.

“Sous La Mer was a great success, and Eastern’s Digital Art and Design students were at the heart of it,” said Bisantz. “It’s an honor to work with such talented, hard-working students. Knowing their work is seen and appreciated, and helping them experience the satisfaction of making a community contribution through their work is why I love teaching at Eastern.”