Senior Project: Spring 2021
Project Advisor, Moonjung Kang
Visual Communication: Graphic Design
Savannah Belden
I am Savannah Belden and I’m from Beckley, West Virginia. I’m graduating with a degree in Visual Communications in the Spring of 2021 at West Liberty University. I’ve always enjoyed finding ways to apply my illustration skills in a variety of different ways from editorial layouts, motion graphics and branding. During my time I’ve found myself enjoying working with others for bigger projects and taking the unique elements everyone brings in order for us to create a more unified product as it shows more than just styles and work methods but the personalities of the individuals.
Even as a child I’ve always found the allure of folktales to be a basis on what inspires me to create and nurture my passion as it shows the imagination of communities and their willingness to not only create but share and apply these stories on a grander scale. My Senior Project focuses on applying my skills in creating a fully illustrated booklet on several stories from American Folklore with a more storybook-like style and feeling to it while sharing in the more obscure side of these tales.
Samantha Palmieri
I am Samantha Palmieri; I am from Pittsburgh, PA and I majored in Visual Communication Design at West Liberty University. I will be graduating in May 2021, during my time in school I have found a passion for work such as branding identities, editorial layout, and UIUX design. What I enjoy the most in regards to design is creative problem solving. I look at every project as a visual challenge that needs to be solved in the most creative and efficient way possible. I believe this mentality will be a strong asset when working with clients or team in any of my future endeavors.
Growing up, my entire identity has been centered around being “the creative one” so I could always see myself doing something in a creative field. I was never quite sure how my creativity would translate into a career until I started design school. Once that happened everything clicked into place and I finally found a passion in Graphic Design and the diverse community of creatives that comes with it.
After graduation, I plan to look for a job in Pittsburgh where I am able to grow and continue to be challenged as a Graphic Designer. Ideally I would love to continue gaining more experience with UIUX whether that be through my career or graduate school. I am not completely sure what life after graduation looks like, but I am very excited to experience life as a Graphic Designer.
Zak Campbell
My name is Zak Campbell. I am from Kimberley, British Columbia, Canada and am graduating with a degree in Visual Communications. Since arriving at West Liberty University I have grown as a designer, and plan to go continue my education in Canada. For my senior exhibition I created two men’s clothing brands, Raddled Canadian Clothing and Mint Raddled. Raddled Canadian Clothing is a higher end brand while Mint Raddled is everyday clothes.
Anthony Sciarrino
My name is Anthony Sciarrino and I am from Weirton, West Virginia. I got my first dirt bike when I was four years old and I have been hooked ever since. In my second year of college, I took an interest in graphic design.
Holeshot Graphix is a combination of both of my passions, motocross and graphic design. This branding project produces motocross graphics, racing gear, apparel, and accessories. After graduation, I plan on combining these passions into a profitable business.
Megan Belden
I am Megan Belden, originally from Beckley, West Virginia. I am graduating with a degree in visual communication. From the time I was young, I came to realize that the many wonders of the world, like people, can represent itself in an infinite number of ways. In my experience, there is no greater way than through design. An illustration or design is able to speak a thousand words to a viewer in a single glance. It gives the outside world a chance to peek into my own mind. For my senior project, I crafted a booklet based around the brief history and influence of gothic culture on society today. History has shaped the future and it is important to understand the influence of it on life today.
Visual Communication: Illustration
Danielle Merritt
My name is Danielle Merritt, I am from Flushing, OH. I studied Visual Communications with an emphasis in illustration. Working through a variety of mediums, I have always strived to project positive feelings and emotions onto my audience. From experience, I recognize that you never know when someone might need a positive light or a bright spot in their life. My hope is that my artwork might be that positive element in the lives of others.
My senior show is about the people, moments, and things that are my positive lights. I have endured a number of hardships and tragedies in my life, but I never let them bring me down. Life moves forward and it is up to you how to proceed. I choose to focus on the good.
Nate Wilhelm
I’m Nate Wilhelm the creator of all this Bunker City junk. I studied at West Liberty for a degree in Illustration, but my interests really are in creating pretty cartoons. So, for the past three years I’ve been working on my passion project, which eventually became my senior project
My art style is heavily inspired by early 2000s media, I really like to use thick line art in most of my pieces. The cartoons I grew up with definitely had an impact on my art style. So, in the future I would like to continue to work on Bunker City, create new episodes, and turn it into a fully-fledged animated series. I want to continue to make cartoons.
Michelle Eisen
Michelle Eisen is an Illustration major with a minor in art, focusing on printmaking and drawing. Her work combines printmaking, drawing, and other emerging media to discuss and chronicle her experiences as a Zambian transwoman navigating America. Her work touches on themes such as infertility, body image, queer culture, Zambian and Southern African culture, and the reinterpretation of religious metaphor. After graduating in December, Michelle plans to continue exhibiting in the Pittsburgh and Ohio area before beginning her MFA degree in Printmaking. Michelle’s senior project, “process: Transitioning Through Your Art” is an interdisciplinary collection of work exploring body image, transfeminine issues, and reconciling with oneself. Michelle’s senior project extends into the series “body”, a collection of figure drawings exploring and celebrating queer bodies. Michelle also published an educational resource aimed at transfeminine people, which covers topics such as health, relationship safety, and body image.
Digital Media Design
Branson Sawinski
I am Branson Sawinski and I am from Moundsville West Virginia. I am graduating with a degree in Digital Media Design with a concentration in video and a minor in Finance. I look to produce and direct films in the future in a business setting. My senior project is a documentary to celebrate the student run newspaper The Trumpet’s 100th anniversary.