Image by Ria Bennett
By Sasha Steinberg | Mississippi State University
Poster and photographic creations by students from Mississippi State’s College of Architecture, Art and Design will be on display Feb. 9-12 from 8-11 a.m. in the university’s McComas Hall Art Gallery.
Free to all, the “Cargo for Conservation: Impacts of the Illegal Wildlife Trade” exhibit focuses on the illegal wildlife trade and destruction of animals for human pleasure.
Students enrolled in Professors Jamie Burwell Mixon’s introductory graphic design and Marita Gootee’s scanography courses were challenged to design compelling posters and photographic works conveying the message that the illegal wildlife trade is cruel and unnecessary.
Along with incorporating typography and original imagery, the students had to design their creations while considering the actual World Wildlife Fund as a figurative client.
Lori Neuenfeldt, the university art department’s coordinator for gallery and outreach programs, said the project required students to conduct research, which involved the examination of a cargo trunk full of objects relating to the illegal wildlife trade.
“All of the items in this exhibit were confiscated by the U.S. Department of Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service and are now part of a program to help educate diverse audiences about the consequences of destroying wildlife,” Neuenfeldt explained.
Also free to all, an opening reception for the exhibit takes place 4-5 p.m. Feb. 9 in the ground-floor gallery at McComas Hall. Refreshments will be provided. In addition to the student-produced posters, exhibit visitors will have the opportunity to get an up-close look at items including an ocelot and mink fur coat, Asian leopard fur panel, elephant skin hiking boot, caviar face cream and an ivory bracelet.
Part of the MSU-sponsored weeklong series of events celebrating the life and work of English naturalist and geologist Charles Darwin (1809-82), the “Cargo for Conservation” exhibit is made possible with support from the College of Architecture, Art and Design’s art department and the College of Arts and Sciences.
The McComas Hall Art Gallery is among several art department venues that regularly feature traveling exhibits, student shows, and group and solo exhibitions by professional artists.
Additional information on this and other exhibits is available from Neuenfeldt at 662-325-2973 or LNeuenfeldt@caad.msstate.edu.