Senior interior design students at Stephen F. Austin State University will showcase their talents during the “Essence of Design” exhibit on display now through April 21 on the second floor of the Steen Library on campus. Each student designed and fabricated a display to showcase his or her personality, design skills and portfolio.
The exhibit is open to the public and will kick off with an opening reception from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, April 1. Randy Johnson from Johnson’s Furniture is sponsoring the reception.
Each of the 17 students was allotted an 8-by-8 foot area equipped with a TV monitor to display their portfolio and show examples from their four years of study at SFA. The space also houses the student’s business cards, design philosophy and other elements.
“Since my freshman year, I’ve always wanted the opportunity to build a display and I’ve been really excited about the process,” said Meagan McNabb, senior interior design major from Rockwall. “It is rewarding to be able to bring your specific design style to your wall.”
After graduation, McNabb hopes to pursue hospitality design and design restaurants and hotels. Her career goal is incorporated in her project, which showcases an industrial contemporary style.
The exhibit achieves multiple objectives within the interior design curriculum: readying student portfolios for the job-search process; encouraging student self-assessment; allowing students to experience the complete design process, including conceptualization, design development, fabrication, installation and evaluation; communicating the scope of interior design education to the public; and providing a recruitment tool for the program.
To schedule a guided tour of the exhibit or for additional information, contact Sally Ann Swearingen, SFA associate professor of interior design, at (936) 468-2048 or sswearingen@sfasu.edu.
