BYU + UVU Illustration Gallery Showcases Student Works, Fosters Connection Between Campuses
During the months of January and February, design and illustration students from BYU and UVU showcased their artwork on both campuses. This collaborative exhibition titled “The Stories We Tell” was led by BYU Design faculty David Habben and UVU Art & Design faculty Adam Munoa. Their goal was to celebrate the work and creativity of the students and, according to Munoa, “unify them as creatives being educated in Utah County.”
All students within the BYU and UVU design programs were able to submit their work regardless of their year in the program, their amount of experience or even their completion of the piece. Habben and Munoa wanted students to feel comfortable submitting work without the pressure of competing or comparing themselves to others. Every student who submitted a piece was accepted and all works were displayed anonymously between the two campuses. Habben said, “There were no names or labels on any of the artwork because we wanted to show that not everything has to be a competition. [This exhibit] is just a celebration of art and the creativity of the students.”
The collaborative nature of this exhibition prepares students for professional endeavors. Munoa emphasized, “It’s important to collaborate to help build [the students] professional networks and to show the similarities in both of our programs.”
The project was born from the question, “How can we get more intercollegiate activity, both for learning from each other and for collaborating?” Both Habben and Munoa hope that this joint exhibition will be a way to build a bridge between the two universities.
“We both thought it was a good way to build bridges and foster a stronger relationship between the schools,” Habben said. “We both believe that this could open up the door for more collaboration with schools throughout Utah and other states. We hope that this is just the beginning.”
