University News

Graphic Communication Student Designs WIU Foundation Holiday Card

December 17, 2015

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MACOMB, IL -- As the holidays quickly approach, most Western Illinois University students are focused on final exams and preparing to return home for winter break. But for one WIU student, she had an additional task … creating the holiday greeting card for the WIU Foundation.

Mariah Bartz, a senior graphic communication major from Macomb, was selected to design the 2015 holiday card, which features an original watercolor lithograph of Sherman Hall. Her most recent work was sent to more than 750 friends of the WIU Foundation.

"To create the design, I took a photo of Sherman Hall and manipulated the photograph in Photoshop. I then transferred that image into a lithographic print and hand-painted the color to add more depth and realism," Bartz explained. "I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to create this year's holiday card, and working for the WIU Foundation has offered me invaluable experience as a designer."

The 2015 holiday card wasn't Bartz's first piece of art created for the WIU Foundation. Earlier this year, she was chosen to design and paint the Foundation's Rocky statue as a part of the 2015 Rocky on Parade campaign. Bartz's "Molecule Dog," featuring the chemical symbols for love and happiness, now finds its home by the flag pole north of the University Union.

"One of the things I enjoy most about my job is meeting our many gifted students. Having a student create the Foundation's holiday card is the ideal way to share with our donors and friends the talent we have at Western Illinois University," said Vice President for Advancement and Public Services Brad Bainter. "Showcasing our students and scholarship recipients gives our donors the opportunity to see their investment at work, so to speak. I would like to thank Mariah not only for her design of this year's card, but also for her design of the Foundation's Rocky on Parade statue."

Bartz is an accomplished artist, having had works featured at the Juried Student Exhibition at Western, the Evanston Art Center and the Figge Art Museum in Davenport, IA. She will graduate this summer after completing an internship in Western's Office of University Relations.

Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
Office of University Communications & Marketing