The School of Visual Communication Design will continue their 2011 BFA Portfolio Exhibition April 14-15 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., located at the Main Art Gallery at Kent State.

“The VCD department only puts on one show each year, so it’s really important to us,” Jameson Campbell, senior Visual Communication Design major said.

Campbell is also the creative director of the exhibition. Normally professor David Middleton is in charge of the event, but he had to have immediate surgery and couldn’t participate, Campbell said.

Because of Middleton’s surgery, the students were in charge of the event this year, Campbell said. The students met on their own, formed groups and came up with concepts and themes for the event by themselves. Campbell said the professors were very helpful, providing wisdom and advice whenever the students needed it.

This year’s theme for the exhibition is “Free Agents,” Campbell said.

“We’re just like free agents in baseball, so we thought that would be an interesting approach,” Campbell said.

These soon-to-be graduates are entering the next phase of their professional lives, AnnMarie LeBlanc, director and professor of the School of Visual Communication Design, said in an e-mail interview. As the show indicates, they are now “Free Agents” entering the marketplace, she said.

This year, there are 28 students participating in the event. Each student will have their own table at the event with their portfolio and business cards.

Portfolios tend to highlight the strongest, most recent work, LeBlanc said. The portfolios will demonstrate a student’s range, as well as area of focus, she said.

Campbell said the students sent out over 500 postcards to professional designers inviting them to the show. At the show, some of the professionals will conduct small interviews with the students.

Many area businesses looking for talent in design and illustration attend this event to seek out future employees, LeBlanc said.

This exhibition also gives families and faculty the opportunity to celebrate the students’ hard work and dedication.

After the exhibition ends on Friday at 5 p.m., there will be an awards reception that starts at 6 p.m. Students will be judged in four categories by the full-time VCD faculty, Leblanc said.

About 300 people will be coming on Friday, Campbell said. The whole event is free, and free food and snacks will be provided on Friday evening, he said.

Contact Rachel Hagenbaugh at [email protected].