Spring break will take on a more metropolitan design for Ryan Feerer, Mike Wiggins and their 20 students this March.
Visiting professor Feerer and Wiggins, department chair of Art and Design and associate professor will take the 20 students to New York City to meet with a variety of designers, schools and studios during the holiday.
The trip was planned to allow aspiring graphic designers and visual artists to start networking and get talk with several big names of their field.
“We’ll get to talk to Milton Glaser, the designer of the ‘I Love NY’ logo and one of my mentors in grad school,” Feerer said. “He’s sometimes called the grandfather of design and helped pave the way of visual design today. He hates small talk, so getting this opportunity to talk to him is priceless in my opinion.”
Students also will be talking to Broadway advertisers, meeting Randy J. Hunt, design director of Etsy, an e-commerce website that specializes in homemade vintage items; the heads of Funny Garbage, a graphic design company; and many more.
“The majority of the 20 we’re taking are seniors interested in being in New York long term,” Feerer said. “Many plan on trying to get interviews for graduate school while we’re there. This is a rare opportunity to be able to drop off portfolios and discuss them with designers in person about what they can work on or how to improve.”
Feerer graduated from ACU in 2005, then went to the School of Visual Arts in New York City, where he met and was taught by many of the people his students now will get to meet.
Feerer hopes this will be a biennial spring break trip for the department because of the benefits and opportunities it provides.
“We don’t want to double seniors up with the senior trip we take, so I imagine we’re only going to go up to NYC every other year,” Feerer said. “I’d like to keep doing this as long as I’m at ACU, but nothing is sure yet. This experience will show them what it’s really like to be a designer in the big city.”
Jordan Bell, sophomore graphic design major from Waco, is considering moving to New York in the future.
“I’ve wanted to go to New York for years, and now I’ve finally got a chance. I’ve only been up to the Northeast once and really liked it, so it should be interesting going back,” Bell said. “I’d like to maybe join a firm and live up there later, and this is a great way I’ll get to meet some big graphic designers.”
The group will stay in New York City, visiting various studios throughout the day and exploring the city during the evenings.
“One of the things I’m looking forward to the most is just walking around and being a part of the culture,” Bell said. “I’ll get to meet new people and experience a culture completely different than Abilene’s.”
The trip will take place March 12-18, with travelers flying out of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.
