MEET ALLISON!
Allison is a Sophomore Graphic Design Major here at Marywood University. Her style is unique and I loved looking at her artwork. Interviewing her was an extremely interesting experience because our Art majors are so different. Let’s get to know Allison!
Name: Allison McDermott
Year of Graduation: Class of 2024
Major: Graphic Design
Minor(s): Business
I am majoring in Art because… I have always had a strong passion for art and expressing my creativity ever since I was a kid. During my freshman year at Marywood, I was not an art major and that lack of art in my life during that time showed me that I really needed to pursue something I was actually passionate about, so I switched my major to Graphic Design and I couldn’t be happier!
The kinds of things that inspire me are… other artists and a good color palette! I really enjoy looking at other artists and their work. I find that it helps motivate me to create pieces that are equally exciting and fun as the piece I was inspired by. Also colors really inspire me because there is something so satisfying and visually appealing about having a good color palette to work with.
My favorite art class so far was… Introduction to Typography. I love this class for many different reasons. The material we have learned and projects we have done in the class have all been very fun and challenging. I have also learned a lot of useful information in this class that will be extremely beneficial in my future career. The class is also really enjoyable because I am able to work alongside other talented students as well as my professor, Pat McLane.
“Every single professor or faculty member I have met in the Art Department has been absolutely amazing and they truly care about the students”
When I am not in class… I am usually hanging out with my friends or working on art projects. My friends and I like to hang out in Naz, the Learning Commons, or we like to go out to the shops in Dickson City!
What excites me most about Art is… the feeling I get when I have finished a project. It is such a rewarding feeling to know all the time and effort put into the piece was worth it.
The coolest thing I have done at Marywood so far was… helping my friend, Maxwell Christian, set up his art show, Altered States, in the Kresge Gallery. It was a really great experience to help my very talented friend set up his exhibit and it also gave me the opportunity to see what exactly goes into setting up an exhibit. Being able to see the entire exhibit at the Opening Reception was also a really cool and exciting experience!
When I graduate… I hope to have a rewarding career in the graphic design field. As of right now I have no set plan of what area I would like to pursue within graphic design, but I enjoy learning about all the different possibilities that I can do for my future career. The art classes here have shown and introduced me to so many different possibilities and areas in which graphic design can be used for, and I am confident that they will help me to find a specific area I am super interested in pursuing.
I would recommend the Art program at Marywood because… the faculty is just great. Every single professor or faculty member I have met in the Art Department has been absolutely amazing and they truly care about the students. The classes are relatively small and this allows for students to really connect with their art professors and it makes the entire learning experience so much better. The professors here want to see the students succeed.
Who is your favorite artist and how do they influence you? I do not know if I necessarily have a favorite artist, but I do have a few that inspire me. One of them is Bob Ross; growing up my Dad and I would always watch old Bob Ross tv episodes on the weekends, so I think I have learned a lot of really interesting things from him and it’s just mesmerizing to watch him paint. Another artist that inspires me would probably be Saul Bass. I think his work is really visually appealing and it is extremely bold and graphic and that is something I would like to achieve within my own work.
Thank you guys for reading! I loved interviewing Allison and learning about another one of the art majors here at Marywood University! Stay tuned for our next student spotlight blog coming out in two weeks! Till next time!