Graphic Design students win Gold Keys in Scholastic contest

Seventh-grader Sarah Fuhrman received a Gold Key distinction for the horse created from letters and numbers. In the introductory courses, the students learn about typeface and how to create using only type. (Submitted image)

In the first year North Putnam's Graphic Design entered pieces into the Scholastic Art Awards Regional Competition, the students fared well.

Program director Amanda Kramer described the Scholastic Art Awards as "the largest and oldest juried art and literary exhibitions in the United States." Past noteworthy winners include artists Andy Warhol and Robert Indiana; writers Sylvia Plath and Truman Capote; actors Robert Redford and John Lithgow.

Kramer picked her students' best creations from throughout the school year and submitted the varying topics to the contest. The North Putnam students' pieces went up against students from 59 Indiana counties. More than 2,500 pieces were submitted in the central and southern Indiana district. Among those, only 206 Gold Keys, the highest distinction, were awarded. There were 281 Silver Keys and 488 honorable mentions.

North Putnam had four students receive Gold Keys. Senior Jessie Cox received two Gold Keys, while senior Jessica Schubert, seventh-grader Clarissa Gibson and seventh-grader Sarah Fuhrman each received a Gold Key as well.

Silver Key winners were 2014 graduate Kayla Clark, eighth-grader Dylan Kenworthy and eighth-grader Abigail Biggs.

The school also had four honorable mentions, including seventh-grader Kassidy Rakestraw, Schubert, seventh-grader Kyle Young and junior Paige Higgins.

The Gold and Silver Key winners had their pieces displayed at Butler University in March.

Jessie Cox received a Gold Key in the Scholastic Art Awards Regional Competition for the movie poster she designed. One of the many projects in Amanda Kramer's graphic design class is to create a movie concept, tag line and design a movie poster. (Submitted image)

The Graphic Design courses are credited through Ivy Tech, which allows the students to receive college credits while learning about typography and the use of the programs necessary to complete the projects.

Kramer said throughout the course of the program, students start by learning about typeface, then using type by itself and then as a design element. The students use programs like Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign to put the projects together.

One of the projects includes creating a movie poster. Kramer said students have to incorporate the use of varying typefaces, write a movie synopsis, create a title, story line and a tag line.

Cox's movie poster received a Gold Key. The title "Underground" depicts an eerie scene below a grassy area, with the tag line, "It's only a matter of time until they surface."

Another project includes creating a logo design. Kramer said the student picks an international city and pretends to serve in the tourism bureau. The students have to research the city to learn more about what stands out. Then, the students create a design logo, letterhead and business cards.

Schubert's Gold Key winning project focused on creating a design for Sydney, Australia.

Kramer said she is impressed with the quality of work the students create, but she was not surprised by the accomplishments.

"I think their work is high quality. The students are really dedicated to their work," Kramer said.

Kramer added she has had students leave her classroom with knowledge of an upperclassman as they begin college. One student is at Purdue University studying graphic design and another is studying advertising art in Ohio.