It's become somewhat of a tradition in the Illustration Department to drop a "Mystery Project" onto the students from time to time. Although this project tends to happen in the spring, the students really have no idea when one of these projects is going to fall into their lap. The Mystery Project has taken on a few different forms, but it always starts first thing in the morning (at 8 am) and is due by mid-day. Students have about 3 or 4 hours to create a piece around specific parameters, however they want using whatever medium they have on hand.
This spring, instructor Hector Casanova received a generous donation of old vinyl records which he brought into the Illustration Department. On the day of the Mystery Project, each student was randomly given one vinyl record. Their goal was to reinvent the artwork / packaging for the album with fresh sensibilities. They had to keep one element from the original packaging, be it typography, color palette, or any physical element. The results were fun, silly, sophisticated and wonderfully all over the place!
Professor Steve Mayse with students, checking out all the solutions to the Mystery Project
At mid-day everyone put their transformed records up on the wall in the flex space in the studio. Seeing all the different solutions from sophomores, juniors and seniors is always a lot of fun. Department Chair and Professor Steve Mayse then has students vote on some of their favorite submissions. The following pieces are just a few of the results of this project.
The Way We Were / Emily Stout
A Star Is Born
The (NEW) Christy Minstrels
All About Eve / Zoe Chressanthis
Doctor Zhivago / Kelsey Wroten
Summerdog / Purps Percival
Mystic Moods Orchestra / Elisa Cox
Jimmy Durante
The Hillside Singers / Kelsey Borch
The Oak Street Boys
Jim Reeves / Slimm Fabert
The Slightly Fabulous Limelighters
Randy Travis / Muriel Fogarty
Oak Ridge Quartet / Nicholette Haigler
Sons of the Pioneers
Shaun Cassidy
Stafford & MacRae