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NIC graphic design students’ creativity earns regional honors

PIA Winners: Aurora Bacowsky, Priest River, left center, was the College Division winner of the recent Printing Industries Association (PIA) Educational Trust Student Poster Contest featuring entrants from Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. Gracie Duncan, Athol, right center, placed second. Both graduated from North Idaho College in May and are standing next to their poster designs. On the far left is NIC Professor Lydia Ramus and far right is NIC Professor Philippe Valle.

North Idaho College's Graphic and Web Design students and alumni are being recognized as regional leaders in design, with their work winning industry contests and featured in professional marketing efforts throughout the Northwest.

Aurora Bacowsky, Priest River, was the College pision winner of the recent Printing Industries Association (PIA) Educational Trust Student Poster Contest featuring entrants from Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. She won an all-expense-paid trip to the PIA award ceremony at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Calif., and $500.

Her poster, “Print Persuades Minds and Moves the Masses,” features print headlines about current events with “Persuade” in front. It is the third year in a row a NIC student won the contest.

“Aurora impressed the judges with her bold message and design excellence,” a PIA announcement states. “Her work reflects a deep understanding of the power of print in communication and advocacy.”

Gracie Duncan, Athol, took second place in the contest with “Print is Persuasive” featuring Greek statues and won $250. Both Duncan and Bacowsky graduated from NIC in May. Duncan landed a position with Coho Media Group in Spokane Valley before she graduated. Ayden Hardy, from Liberty Lake and who plans to be a freshman at NIC this fall, won the High School pision of the PIA poster contest.

Meanwhile, NIC student Liz Crimmins, Post Falls, submitted the winning T-shirt and program design to the St. Andrews Society of the Inland Northwest for the 67th annual Spokane Scottish Highland Games held Aug. 2 at the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center. The design features a dog watching over a field of sheep.

“We loved Liz’s design because it’s unique and clean,” said Catherine Hill, the society’s secretary. “We really appreciate the assistance and partnership with North Idaho College.”

The NIC graphic design talents are also literally hitting the road this summer.

Bacowsky and fellow graduate Aaron Tan, Coeur d’Alene, teamed up on a design featuring Silverwood Theme Park on a Pepsi-Cola semi trailer that’s making rounds throughout the region.

NIC graphic and web design students, who have won numerous awards in recent years,  have access to state-of-the-art equipment, including a 14-foot-long interactive touch screen, Apple computer lab, video studios and computer numerical control (CNC) machining capabilities. The touch screen was secured with a $487,000 Leading Idaho 2.0 grant from the Idaho pision of Career and Technical Education. Of the 143 proposals submitted to the state, only 28 were funded.

For information on the graphic and web design program, visit https://www.nic.edu/gdes/. To apply to NIC by the Fall Semester deadline of Monday, Aug. 11, visit https://www.nic.edu/start/.