51ĀŅĀ×

What do the Athens County Courthouse clock tower, the paw-paw, and a geometric rendering of College Green all have in common? All will take center stage on a new student-designed T-shirt collection for , following the first-ever 51ĀŅĀ× Alumni Association Student Design Competition.

As part of a collaboration with the College of Fine Arts, this juried competition called on 20 students from professor JP Rheaā€™s graphic design course to submit designs celebrating the Southeast Ohio region. The three winners not only had their T-shirt designs put on sale by The Bobcat Store, but also earned a scholarship award and gained valuable hands-on experience.

ā€œWe wanted not necessarily just 51ĀŅĀ× apparel, but something that would represent the area and remind people of their time spent in Athens,ā€ explains Christopher Riley (BSC ā€™22), Bobcat Store manager and jury member. ā€œI thought it would be really cool to bring in more stuff [representing] Southeast Ohio as a whole.ā€

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Participating students rose to the occasion, submitting concepts ranging from mischievous squirrels to an Athena-style marquee reading ā€œMeet Me on Court Streetā€ to an ode to ā€œFest SZN.ā€ Beloved local feline Pumpkin also made cameos on numerous designs, along with native paw-paw fruits, local landmarks, and Rufus.

A jury of five representing The Bobcat Store, Student Alumni Board, Alumni Relations, and the 51ĀŅĀ× Alumni Association Board of Directors worked together to select the final three winners, with four designs total: Emma Geggie BFA ā€™24, Madisyn Kelly BFA ā€™24, and Kim Langhirt, BFA ā€™24. Selection criteria included overall concept and creativity, use of illustration and/or typography, consideration of place, and consideration of the Bobcat Store audience.

Rhea says he typically gives four assignments per semester, prioritizing practical learning opportunities that he considers ā€œportfolio builders.ā€ For the Student Design Competition, Rhea allowed in-class time for research, design prototyping, and critique as students finalized their submissions.

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ā€œEmployers donā€™t want cookie-cutter designersā€”they want artists, and this assignment helped the students branch out and think in new ways,ā€ says Rhea, who is concluding his first year as a graphic design professor at 51ĀŅĀ×. ā€œThey really embraced the challenge and approached it from a perspective of critical thinking.ā€

The winning designs are available for view or purchase at :

(Emma Geggie BFA ā€™24)
(Madisyn Kelly, BFA ā€™24)
(Kim Langhirt, BFA ā€™24)
(Madisyn Kelly, BFA ā€™24)

Store manager Riley is hopeful that even more student designs will be further selected for the Bobcat Storeā€™s fall lineupā€”including stickers, coffee mugs, prints, and/or apparel. He also hopes that the Student Design Competition will become an annual endeavor, as does Rhea.

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For her part, competition winner Madisyn Kelly considered the project a labor of love and a unique way to show campus and community pride. ā€œWe have a beautiful community here, from the flora and fauna to the brick roads and landmarks,ā€ Kelly said in her artistā€™s statement. ā€œI wanted to capture that beauty and give people a little piece of Athens they can bring with them anywhere!ā€