The West Virginia MADFEST energizes the campus of West Liberty University every spring as it offers media art workshops, professional presentations and student competition with prizes.

“Wells Street Art Festival” – Miranda Pellicano – West Liberty University student – Graphic Design – First Place 2013

This year it will take place from 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m., Friday, April 11 in the WLU Media Arts Center.

Student entries are being accepted through March 20, 2014.

All West Liberty students are encouraged to enter their work to compete for prizes including WLU scholarships.

Area high school students (grades 9-12) also are invited to enter their media arts projects in a separate competition, held the same day that is exclusively designed for high school students from Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Entries will be received online and include the following categories:

• Short Film – Fictional stories written and produced by the student (or group of no more than three students). May be shot as film or video and include actors and production elements associated with contemporary storytelling.

• Digital Imaging – Original art created using digital processes. This can include collage, vector graphics, photography and scanned objects or textures. If found works are used, the piece should be transformative of original content.

• Electronic Music – Original compositions, up to five minutes in length. Can include original instrumentation, sampled sounds, midi sounds, or mashups of two or more pre-recorded songs, as long as such works are transformative of original content.

• Animation – Original animated project. May include stop motion projects, vector animations, cartoons, interactive pieces, or games. Must be output to a web friendly.mov or .mp4 video format.

• Illustration – Original illustration using digital and/or traditional techniques. Limited to completely original works (no collages of other artwork – those works belong in the Digital Imaging category).

• Mixed Media – Original static mixed media piece. May include a range of materials, from found object assemblage, to a variety of traditional or non-traditional media.

• Multimedia – Original dynamic multimedia piece, composed of a variety of media, which may include video, animation, photography, sound, illustration and type.

• Interactive – Web Design, Mobile Apps, Interactive Music Applications, or Interactive storytelling. Original coding and graphics required. Judged on originality, navigation and content.

• Photography – Traditional or digital original photography with minimal digital post-production.

• Graphic Design – The visual communication of ideas to convey a message, primarily through the display of typography and/or images.

• Audio Documentary – Non-fiction audio stories recorded and produced by one or two students. Subjects could include an interesting place, an event, an individual, or an organization – for the purpose of documenting a historical record.

• Video Documentary – Non-fiction video stories recorded and produced by up to three students. Subjects could include an interesting place, an event, an individual, or an organization – for the purpose of documenting a historical record.

Entries will be judged by a panel of media arts professionals and all winners will be acknowledged during the MAD Festival.

For more information, contact Associate Professor of Art Jim Haizlett, MADFEST Director at madfest@westliberty.edu or 304.336.8077.