From May 15 to June 5, their work will hang in The Museum of American Illustration at the Society of Illustrators in New York City, and it will also appear in the printed exhibition catalog.
“The AIB Illustration Department was thrilled to hear of Melissa and Nick’s achievement. We’re very proud of them, and of our department as well,” said Assistant Professor Keith MacLelland, acting chair of the Illustration Department. “Being accepted into The Society of Illustrators is a prestigious accomplishment, and one that not every illustrator gets to experience.”
McGill and Nazzaro’s illustrations were chosen from more than 5,000 entries submitted by professors of college-level students nationwide, and will be among over a hundred works featured in the exhibition.
Melissa McGill’s work, titled the “The Office,” is a collage made of cut out pieces of paper from magazines, and she relied on shapes and colors to form the two characters from the NBC sitcom, The Office.
“I love drawing caricatures of celebrities, but for this piece I decided to try a new technique,” said McGill, who is a senior Illustration major. “I wanted to see if I could successfully communicate who these characters are with collage. It was definitely a challenge but ended up being a fun and different way to caricature.”
Nick Nazzaro’s work, titled “Fun & Safe,” is a digital piece he created with Photoshop in response to recent statements by Wayne LaPierre, head of the National Rifle Association. It depicts children playing with guns instead of water toys and floats in a pool.
“My goal was to point out how ridiculous an idea it is to give children guns in the hopes of them using them responsibly someday,” said Nazzaro, also a senior Illustration major, whose work is almost completely digitally created, although he creates the some 3D pieces and original stencils. “My style is very graphic, full of symbols and stylization.”
For the Society of Illustrators Student Scholarship Exhibition, a jury of professional peers, including illustrators and art directors, selected the most outstanding works created throughout the year. Pieces were accepted based on the quality of technique, concept and skill of medium used.
Scholarship awards are granted to approximately 25 students whose work is deemed the best of the best, according to the Society’s website, which says it has awarded over $1.5 million to deserving students since the competition’s inception in 1981.
The Society of Illustrators promotes the art of illustration and its history and evolving nature through exhibitions, lectures and education.