SAN FRANCISCO – Academy of Art University recently welcomed the general public, faculty, and industry professionals to celebrate the best work from 36 majors and departments at its annual Spring Show. Many artist-athletes found themselves among the students showcasing their portfolios in this culmination of another memorable year in the classroom. 

From men's soccer and representing the School of Advertising, Lennart Fleschhut, the winner of the ARTYs award for Best Individual GPA, had his work as a creative strategist available in a digital collection. The graduating senior was joined by fellow German Alexander Tombach who put together a print ad for Advil. Also in Advertising, volleyball's Brittany Ulmer not only showed off her collaborations with America SCORES, but also a commercial for Hint that she co-authored under the tagline "Eat what you want while still enjoying a delightful drink."

"I think the portfolio review for all graduates and the Spring Show exhibition for all students is a great event put together by the Academy of Art University," said Fleschhut. "To present your work and talk through your portfolio with people from the industry is a unique opportunity that can not only to lead into job opportunities, but also to get an insider's perspective on your process. In that sense, I see my portfolio less as a finalized piece and as more as a constant work in progress."

In the School of Fine Art, another volleyball artist-athlete was widely featured as Isabel Emrich had five of her elegant paintings on display. A recipient of two awards including "BFA Body of Work" and second place in "Abstract," Emrich continued her streak of having her creativity appreciated in Spring Show each of her past three years at Academy of Art. Her Urban Knight sculpture was selected in 2014, a jewelry necklace made it in 2015, and 2016 was the debut of her primary focus - painting.

"I was overwhelmed with happiness," said Emrich. "It was so satisfying and rewarding to see my paintings hanging up, knowing all the hard work and sacrifices I've made to create these pieces. I've been focusing on this subject of figures submerged in the ocean for a year now. I've pushed myself to be more expressive in my creative process, bringing to the canvas more energy of the powerful ocean, feelings when I'm submerged, exploring different perspectives, and creating more layers. I've always been very connected to the ocean and exploring beneath the surface. Going to Italy last summer to study abroad and then to Hawaii early this year, I was really inspired by the different hues of the ocean that influenced my color palette for these paintings."

At the end of the red carpet, entrants to the show found an elaborate setup by the School of Multimedia Communications. Women's basketball graduating senior Regina Camera greeted the masses, pulling aside students and faculty for on-camera interviews. Camera, who received the "Undergrad Focus Award," at one point chatted with men's basketball graduating senior and "Best Undergrad On-Camera" award-winner Alexis Moore. Next to drone models and virtual reality technology, a running video of work featured a segment on dogs produced by yet another volleyball artist-athlete in Melissa Brum.

Women's basketball had half of its 1,000-Point Club at Spring Show with graduating senior Sha'Nice Storey displaying her portfolio from the School of Fashion. Storey explained how her journey as a collegiate artist-athlete culminated this year as she made major contributions to the winningest season in ART U women's basketball history while also discovering her primary concentration in fashion.

"It was truly an honor to be selected for Spring Show," said Storey. "I was totally surprised to find out from my instructor that I was one of two fashion stylists that would be showing portfolio work along with only 13 fashion students altogether. This last semester, I really feel as though I figured out my type of style. I've always loved to include some of my sporty side to all of my work, but I've now found out that menswear is one of my biggest focuses."

Among an expansive array of layouts and designs for the School of Architecture, men's golfer Alberto "Dago" Esponda could be found with multiple pieces. One conceptualized reconfiguring open space for war veterans in areas around Fort Mason and the various piers of San Francisco.

The School of Graphic Design saw another men's golfer, graduating senior Cody Moore, as well as women's tennis graduate Nina Gajdosikova showing off portfolios incorporating elements from their respective sports. From a collection of golf-flavored designs labeled "A Gentleman's Game? But What About Us?" to business cards inspired by the configuration of a tennis court, both artist-athletes proudly displayed their respective brands.

Also among the Spring Show honorees from women's tennis was School of Motion Pictures & Television MFA graduate Kunkanda "Cartoon" Phukchampa. Her collaboration on a project entitled "I am a Woman" emphasized equality among career paths through www.glassdoor.com.

Former ART U women's tennis teammate of both Gajdosikova and Phukchampa, Kinga Kurczbuch offered a highly detailed work in the School of Industrial Design. Working with others on physical replicas for Jeep that had inspirational roots connected to "nacre" or "Mother of Pearl," Kurzcbuch crafted an elegant white, black, and silver model entitled "Jeep Naccaro."

Although her final presentation for Sustainable Studio, "The Water Front," was housed at a different location within the School of Interior Architecture & Design, women's soccer senior Réa Laudat had representation at Spring Show with a custom-made tote bag. Laudat's design, created as part of the IAD Club's "Totes for Art" campaign, was up for silent auction with profits going to low-income art students through the Imagine Bus Project.

If you wish to view this year's Spring Show collections, please visit this link or call 415-274-2200 for more information.