Contact: Sasha Steinberg

STARKVILLE, Miss.-- Works by two recent graduates and four Mississippi State senior art majors specializing in graphic design received numerous awards--including Best in Show--at The 2015 Southern Student Graphic Design Show in Arkansas.

Sponsored by AIGA Arkansas and the Arkansas State University chapter of AIGA, the show is an annual competitive juried event open to design students in Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee. Founded in 1914 as the American Institute of Graphic Arts, AIGA is regarded as the "oldest and largest professional membership organization for design and now is known simply as 'AIGA, the professional association for design.'" For more information, visit www.aiga.org.

The 2015 award winners were formally recognized during a recent reception at Arkansas State University's Fine Arts Center in Jonesboro.

Jurors for the 2015 Southern Student Graphic Design Show included John Lloyd, president of AIGA Memphis and UX Manager for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital; Jessica Wilcoxen, associate professor of digital media at Greenville College in Greenville, Illinois; and Rose Newton, design lead at IMB Design in Austin, Texas.

Kimberlin A. Singletary, a May 2015 graduate from Crystal Springs, received the Best in Category and Gold award in the packaging category, as well as Best in Show Overall honors for "Kaleidoscope Malt Beverage." She also received a Silver award in the print advertising category for "Cotton District Arts Festival." Works were completed in classes taught by assistant professors Cassie Hester and Suzanne Powney.

Also receiving Best in Category and a Gold award in the print advertising category was senior Cameron A. McMaster of Kiln for "We Could Use a Hand Fundraiser." He also received a Silver award for "Shore Savers" and Gold award for "Gaslight Anthem Gig Poster" in the print advertising category. Works were completed in classes taught by lecturer Debra Shafer and former assistant professor Jude Landry.

In addition to Singletary and McMaster's top honors, the four other MSU art majors receiving awards included (by hometown):

BEL AIR, Maryland--Senior Lorianna A. Livingston, who received a packaging category's Gold award for "Hellish Relish" and Bronze award in the book and publication design category for "The Zoo." The pieces were completed in a class taught by professor Jamie Mixon.

CLINTON--Senior Austin R. Grove, who received a packaging category's Gold award for "Unfathomed." The work was created in a class taught by assistant professor Suzanne Powney.

JACKSON--Senior Daniel R. Jackson, who received a packaging category Silver award for "Red Mount Beer" and visual identity category Bronze award for "Pier Pedals Logo." He also received a Bronze award in the print advertising category for "Smithsonian Poster Series." The pieces were created in classes taught by assistant professor Cassie Hester and professor Jamie Mixon.

KOSCIUSKO--Joseph T. "Joe" Cain, a May 2015 graduate who received a print advertising Silver award for "Semester Bicycles" and Bronze award for "Artists' Reality." He also received a packaging category Silver award for "Naut Brewing Company." The works were completed in courses taught by assistant professors Cassie Hester and Suzanne Powney and lecturer Debra Shafer.

Part of the College of Architecture, Art and Design, the art department offers a bachelor of fine arts degree, with concentrations in graphic design, photography and fine art (ceramics, drawing, painting, printmaking and sculpture). For detailed information about the graphic design curriculum, contact professor Jamie Mixon at 662-325-1904 or jmixon@caad.msstate.edu.

More information on the college and department is found at www.caad.msstate.edu, facebook.com/CAADatMSU and twitter.com/CAADatMSU.

MSU, the state's flagship research institution, is online at msstate.edu, meridian.msstate.edu, facebook.com/msstate, instagram.com/msstate, pinterest.com/msstate and twitter.com/msstate, using hashtag #WeRingTrue.