Essence is Kutztown University's Literary and Art Magazine. It highlights a curated selection of literature and visual art submitted by students. I worked with two colleagues (Molly Lubinsky and Aubrey Zegstroo), designing the 2024 edition of the magazine to be printed in large quantities and distributed to the student body.
We worked hard to create a strong visual theme for the publication itself while maintaining the integrity of the artwork within. Working closely with a team of skilled designers required organization and communication, and the culmination of ideas pointed us in one unique direction.
As the president of Essence, I also organized many events and workshops and had the opportunity to design advertisements for them.
I've always been passionate about making art and creative spaces accessible to people, and Essence has been a wonderful way to do so. We have done monthly open mics and annual zine workshops. We've also volunteered for Doodle Day tables and Creative Royale, two campus initiatives that encourage people to get creative- regardless of their skill level. As a fundraiser, we've even done typewriter poetry stands for Valentines day.
These are a few posters I've designed to garner interest in our events.
Check out some of our cover thumbnails below...
