The Online Reflector

The opening exhibit of novesia, or nine perceptive minds, showcased graphic design work of University of Indianapolis seniors on April 8 at the Murphy Art Center in Fountain Square.

The nine perceptive minds are senior visual communications design students Candice Casey, Courtny Cotten, Lyndsay McBride, Christy Fulk, Ashley Seaton, Cheryl Shipman, Karin Galloway, Maggie Vega and Julia Spangler.

The group invented their title [novesia]. It combines the Latin “nove” [meaning nine] for the nine of them with the Egyptian god “Sia.” Sia, symbolizes thought, visual perception and mental understanding.

The exhibit had interactive stations to watch videos and view their Web sites, posters with examples of each designer’s work suspended in blue frames that were hung by the ceiling and pedestals with business cards and catalogs. There was also food and live music.

VCD IV, the highest-level graphic design class, has to plan and hold an exhibit each year. This was the first year that the exhibit was held off campus as well as in Ransburg Gallery in Good Hall the week of April12-16.
“We wanted from very early on to be different and hold it off campus,” said Galloway.

The seniors split themselves into different groups to work on design, scheduling, budget, construction and printing issues. Everyone agreed that the most challenging part of the experience was working together as a group.

“The hardest part was working together because everyone had different styles,” Vega said.

The seniors had worked independently up to this point.

During the first semester, senior students decided upon and created a whole body of work by themselves. Projects included brand identities for companies like Etsy and IndyGo, magazine layouts and a children’s book.

These works were then included in the show along with other examples of past creations.

During the second semester, however, the seniors do not work on designing projects, but planning and marketing for the show. They created posters, postcards, called local businesses, used Facebook and tried guerilla marketing. Guerilla marketing uses unconventional methods to promote an event or work. The seniors wrote with sidewalk chalk downtown, but unfortunately the rain washed much of it away.

The seniors plan was for the idea of perception to be carried throughout the work and exhibit. The banners, with examples of each students work, were hung in blue frames which were suspended from the ceiling.
“This played with the idea of optical illusions and how people perceive work,” McBride said.

There were over 35 frames of varying sizes hung from the ceiling as you walked in the gallery. Seaton was the spacial manager and it was her job to get a blueprint and map out where the wires would be. However, she admits that she wasn’t sure what it was going to look like until they finally put it up.

Dee Schaad, Chair of the Art and Design Department, said that he and the other faculty were very impressed by the quality of the presentation and of the work. He says that through this show, along with “A Word from the Southside” exhibiting fine artwork from UIndy students at the Harrison Center on Friday, April 9, the department is trying to find ways to institutionalize student exhibits off campus as well as being held in Ransburg Gallery.

The group admits that they could not have held the exhibit without help from others. Students contacted organizations about donating. The donations, the cost for the space, materials and printing costs were just under $200 a person, totaling around $1800.

When talking about how they show went, the seniors were all proud of their hard work.

“I don’t know how we could have set it up any better,” Fulk said. “Never did I think we weren’t going to have enough room, which isn’t disappointing by any means.”

The space was crowded for much of the three-hour event.
“We had our share of doubters, but I think this has raised the bar for the program as a whole and the show transcended expectations of even myself,” Cotten said.