O’More Wins Big at ADDY Awards

O’More College of Design’s Visual Communications department was well represented at the Nashville chapter of the American Advertising Federation’s annual ADDY awards banquet on February 23. Seven students were among the winners in the 2010 Student ADDY Awards competition sponsored by AAF-Nashville, carrying home 20 gold and silver awards for outstanding work in the graphic design competition.

“The ADDYs is an extremely competitive competition, and I’m proud that our students’ hard work and talent continues to be recognized,” said Jeff Fuqua, Chair of Visual Communications at O’More College of Design. “Over the course of 40 years, O’More College has consistently attracted students of exceptional talent, and it has been a pleasure to watch this group grow into professional designers.”

Joanna Arnold, Amy Davidson, Jaana Huusko, Kayce Singleton, Amanda Smith, Danny Summers and Elle Woodward combined to win four Gold and 16 Silver awards – the most earned in the College’s 40-year history.

Students are judged on their work in various visual communications categories, such as advertising campaigns, corporate identities, editorial spreads, mixed media campaigns, web design and others. There were 486 entries in the competition, representing eight colleges and universities in Middle Tennessee.

The Nashville Student ADDY Competition is the first of three levels.  Nashville Gold and Silver winners will compete next at the district level against winners from Alabama, Georgia, Louisana, Mississippi and Tennessee. Winners from 14 AAF districts then go on to compete at the national level for National Student ADDYs, along with a chance to win Best of Show and a $1,000 prize.

Last year, O’More College of Design won 13 awards locally, with five moving on to win at the district level. O’More Class of 2009 graduate Sarah Bowers went on to win a national Student ADDY.

For more information and to view student work visit www.omorecollege.edu/addy

Artists put discarded books back on shelves

3-D artwork is on display at library

By Kevin Walters • THE TENNESSEAN • January 19, 2010

FRANKLIN — As merely books, they’ve become tattered and dusty, unread and past their prime. It’s only with fresh dollops of glue, paint and a power tool or two that Susan DeGarmo and others have given the old books new life as works of art.

DeGarmo, an assistant professor at Franklin’s O’More College of Design, and others have nine so-called altered books on display at the Williamson County Public Library through the end of January.

The books have been taken apart and then refashioned into 3-D cupcakes, a watch holder and more.

That gives the older books a longer shelf life.

“Instead of throwing them into the dump, we’re rescuing them and making them things that sit on shelves as works or art,” she said.

Altering books is also a favorite project among O’More students who want to unplug from their computers that all use for their projects, DeGarmo said.

“They’re so tired of working on the computer all the time,” DeGarmo said. “This is where they can actually get their hands into something.”

But the project does necessitate that books stop being, well, books and become other things.

The prospects of that don’t bother Janice Keck, county library director.

“I don’t think it’s an affront to books,” Keck said. “There are so many books and so many copies of books. Better than throwing it away, better to recycle it. Art offers us many opportunities for us to take ordinary objects and turn them into beautiful art.”

DeGarmo said she plans to teach an altered book-making course at the Williamson County Library later this spring.

The Williamson County Library is at 1314 Columbia Ave. and is open seven days a week. For information, call 615-794-3105.

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20100119/WILLIAMSON01/1190301/2148/williamson/Artists+put+discarded+books+back+on+shelves