Stacy Rosenthal didn’t imagine her art homework would end up going out to 1,500 people.
Rosenthal, a studio art senior, created the winning design for the Kellogg Center’s 8th annual MSU Holiday Card Contest. Her red and green design pictures a reindeer with antlers that spell out Kellogg. The contest is a collaboration between the center and classes in MSU’s Department of Art.
“We only had a week to do it, so it was kind of a quick thing,” Rosenthal said. “My idea was a spur of the moment thing.”
Students participating in the contest were restricted only by size and regulated to using two ink colors. They were allowed free reign in using any media to create their designs.
But Rosenthal chose to do hers by hand rather than on computer.
“It just came about me, I don’t even know how I came about it, it just kind of happened,” she said.
As the winner, Rosenthal was awarded with a Kellogg Center sweatshirt, dinner for two at the State Room and a copy of the completed card.
“It was exciting,” she said. “It’s just something fun, I guess, something for my portfolio.”
Choosing Rosenthal’s design was a no-brainer for Joel Heberlein, general manager of the center.
“It’s unique, it blends Kellogg, a part of Michigan State University, and the holiday season together, so it was very creative,” he said.
Heberlein sifted through nearly 45 entries for the contest, and the good ideas were in large supply, he said.
“It was difficult, but another thing that I liked about it, it was more hand-created as opposed to computer-generated,” he said.
The card will be sent to departments throughout campus, to MSU administrators and to Kellogg customers.
Heberlein said the contest helps to bridge the gap between the academic and support units of the university.
“We’ve got very talented students here and it’s been very nice to work with the art department,” he said. “They’re getting better and better as the years go by, and it’s been fun.”
The partnership is also valued by those in the art department.
“We do like working with our friends over in the Kellogg Center; we’re proud to be associated with them,” said Associate Professor Michael Fanizza, whose classes supplied the designs.
Students in Fanizza’s Studio Art 360, Introduction to Graphic Design and SA 460, Design Concepts and Processes classes were required to participate in the contest.
Although Fanizza said many of his students got creative and supplied quality ideas, he agreed Rosenthal’s was the best. Classmates also voted to give her design top honors, Fanizza said.
“I think one of the things that makes a card special is if it couldn’t be done for any other organization and this one couldn’t be done for any other group,” he said. “I think that’s part of its charm.”
