Gallery 130 at Meek Hall was abuzz with graphic design enthusiasts on Thursday evening as the “I Profess” exhibition drew to a close. The University of Mississippi was the final stop for the traveling exhibition, which began its tour at Portland State University in February 2024.
The exhibition, which was on display from Sept. 15 to Oct. 9, was curated by Chris Corneal and Audrey Bennett. Corneal is an associate professor of graphic design at Michigan State University, and Bennett is a professor of university diversity and social transformation at the University of Michigan.
Corneal, who attended the reception, explained the pair’s thesis behind the exhibition.
“What’s interesting about the show is just that it’s how designers are working from their own belief system about graphic design and how that affects their teaching, methodology and pedagogy,” Corneal said.
The professors’ pedagogy, or philosophy of teaching, took center stage in the gallery. Approaches taken by design scholars to represent their philosophy ranged from detailed mind maps to mock comic book covers.
Blake Hafler, a senior art major, was impressed with the variety of approaches taken in the exhibition.
“I saw a lot of cool designs in there (that) I don’t usually see in graphic design,” Hafler said. “It just really reminds me of how things change in the world as we’re progressing.”
Observing changes over time in design education was a driving force behind the exhibition, according to Corneal.
“I co-curated this exhibit in 2004, and then 20 years later, I realized design education had changed so much, so I sent out the call,” Corneal said.
As an exhibition of graphic design pieces created by design professors, the works in “I Profess” were intentionally self-referential. This meta approach was key to the curators’ artistic concept for the exhibition.
“It forces designers, design educators, to put their money where their mouth is, (challenging) design professors to put their own philosophy and ideology into a visual work of visual communication,” Corneal said.
Autumn Wittebort, a graduate student studying art, was thoroughly impressed by the exhibition. Though her focus is not graphic design, Wittebort appreciated the spotlight the exhibition shone on the field, as well as its welcoming approach.
“I think graphic design is the kind of thing that doesn’t get the kind of spotlight that painting or ceramics or other studio practices do,” Wittebort said. “The gallery style felt very approachable for someone who’s not involved in (graphic design).”
Corneal hoped students left the exhibition with the confidence to produce designs aligned with their personal convictions.
“I think a responsible graphic designer should have an ideology and philosophy in the work they do,” Corneal said “There’s a responsibility to creating an image, or piece of communication, that is going to be seen by 1,000 or 100,000 people.”
Hafler appreciated the flexibility the university’s graphic design studio has given him to follow his own philosophy.
“They push you to do things like express your fullest creativity,” Hafler said. “Nothing’s restricted.”
