A Bethel student’s collaboration with the college’s Kauffman Museum resulted in a design award.
Andi Schmidt Andres, curator of education, accepted the MPMA Publication Design Award on behalf of Kauffman Museum Sept. 25 at the MPMA annual conference, held this year in Albuquerque.
MPMA is the Mountain-Plains Museum Association, of which Kauffman Museum is a member.
Its Publication Design Award recognizes outstanding design in publications of member museums in a 10-state region.
Kauffman Museum received this competitive award for the materials that accompanied its special exhibition “Campaign for a New China: Looking Back on Posters from the Cultural Revolution, 1966-1976.”
“Campaign for a New China” was on display at the museum in spring 2019. It featured propaganda posters collected in 1976 by the late Robert Kreider, Bethel College professor of peace studies.
Austin Prouty, Newton, a May 2019 Bethel graduate in graphic design and business, created the exhibition’s promotional package as his senior graphic design project, in collaboration with Chuck Regier, Kauffman Museum curator of exhibits.
The jury for the MPMA Publication Design Award acknowledged the excellence of Prouty’s work in creating a visual identity system that unified the promotional postcard, outdoor banner and take-home gallery guide.
In addition, Prouty’s work on his senior project helped earn him a Thresher Award, Bethel’s highest academic award, given for high achievement in a senior student’s major discipline.
“Working on the ‘Campaign for a New China’ exhibit was a tremendous opportunity that allowed me to both showcase and expand the technical knowledge I gained in my time at Bethel College,” said Prouty, who is now a graduate student in graphic design in Los Angeles.
“Receiving the MPMA Publication Design Award is a great honor, and shows the many possibilities when working with a group of talented individuals on a project that is truly unique.
“Campaign for a New China” is currently under development to become another Kauffman Museum traveling exhibition. For more information, contact Regier at crregier@bethelks.edu