SAN FRANCISCO – Adapting once again to the COVID-19 pandemic, Academy of Art University recognized its students' best work from the 2020-21 academic year in its annual Spring Show event held online. Throughout the 40+ areas of art and design, more than 25 ART U current and former student-athletes had the opportunity to showcase their talents and portfolios for the whole world to see in this grand finale.

Starting in the School of Advertising, James Young, 2021 National Champion in the indoor mile and outdoor 1500m, had two works on display along with his complete copywriting portfolio. In addition to recognition of his video adaption of the song "What Went Down" by Foals, Young's collaborative project showing the perks of virtual dating for Tinder appeared and incorporated several of his track & field teammates. The "Date Easy" integrated campaign won Bronze in the "Print" category of the ADDYs Student Awards. 

Honored in the Web Design & New Media / Advertising awards ceremony, two Urban Knights from men's soccer had their projects on display at Spring Show. Edvard Edvardsson, who won WNM Silver, was represented by his project "MELO," an application and website that allows one to use their favorite streaming platforms and create fully customizable vinyl records, aimed at those who long for the crackling of a record player. Edvarsson's teammate Kris Jensson had his WNM Best In Show design "Planta," a mobile application and hardware chip that work together to make sure that plants are cared for at their best, front and center. Additionally, Jensson's portfolio included his collaboration on "Audi Beyond," a prospective website and custom typeface for Audi in the year 2050. Click here to read more about Edvardsson and Jensson's award-winning projects, "MELO" and "Planta."

Emerging from a School of Game Development loaded with impressive and detailed work, softball's Lauryn Henderson delivered "Princess Artemis Rose," a character bonded to the Dark Spirit of Legend living in a world where spirit animals grant people powers. Given the option to "draw whatever you want" by her instructor this year, Henderson set out on bringing to life a concept she had wanted to pursue for years, taking her time with sketches, line art, and colors in a more relaxed approach.

"I have to thank my teacher this year, Brian Hess, for helping me bring a lifelong idea of mine to reality," Henderson said. "He pushed me to not only show my skill but also to work on something I could love the whole semester long. 'Princess Artemis Rose' is a character I had dreamt about making since early high school. She is a big part of my journey as an artist and as a person. One of my goals as an artist is to publish a comic in her name, and this piece brought me one step closer to making that a reality. Overall, it means everything for Artemis to be showcased in the Spring Show. It makes me proud of how far she's come from my first drawings of her to now."

Described as the passion project she's the proudest of since enrolling at Academy of Art, "Princess Artemis Rose" marked Henderson's fourth consecutive appearance in the Spring Show and the first alongside her being named a NFCA and D2CCAA All-American.

"One of my main goals coming to this school was to get into the Spring Show every year," Henderson said. "Originally that meant four years straight, but now that I'm coming back for a fifth year, I have one more year to go. I think anyone that knows me can agree that I hold myself to a high standard for everything I do, but when it comes to school, that standard is even higher. The reason I came to this school was to pursue art and so I knew to be a part of the best I'd have to create a challenge for myself. Every year it has been an honor to have been featured in the Spring Show and it always reminds me that the hard work pays off."

Appearing in the Spring Show for the second time in two years, the work of volleyball's Zoey Kister could be found in the School of Game Development portion. Her digital painting of "Cat Woman" was just the latest dynamic character portrait in the concept artist's collection.

Several Urban Knights' pieces were among the portfolios and galleries from the School of Photography. Former women's basketball student-athlete Lily Perkins had her vibrant "Pieces of Your Home Outside" series displayed in conjunction with her portfolio then had three pieces, "Patterns," "Dreamer Boy," and "Fashion on a Cliff" each in the gallery section. Exhibiting some new flavors of Nike shoes, former men's soccer student-athlete Mykal Mason saw his "Strawberry Lemonade" collection featured. Also in the "Gallery," men's soccer was represented by Christian Cano's "Glowing Display" and Davis King's "Ontop Of The City." Finally, freshly minted men's track & field All-American Shareez Hamm had his photography on display with "I Can't Breathe."

Work from a total of four Communications & Media Technologies student-athletes was on display including who received 2021 COM Awards and with one who earned a 2021 NXT UP Fest honor for his acting. Collected works from women's track & field's Alice Coisne, who won the department's Best Graduate Focus Award, included a mini-documentary about a couple surviving the COVID-19 pandemic, a web series highlighting Coisne's San Francisco observations, and a video Haiku entitled "Life Goes On." Fellow teammate Camille Jouanno, a Best Graduate Editor Award recipient, had three of her projects spotlighted including an aerial videography of Saints Peter & Paul Church in San Francisco, a reflection video on the word "taste," and a public service announcement for ART U's COVID-19 response.

Beginning his acting career as a senior, Armando Rivera of men's soccer was recognized with an NXT UP Fest Audience Award for his role in "Catastrophe" and had that role distinguished in the Spring Show. Representing men's basketball, Jacob Smith's profile on his father, Daniel Smith, a Richmond-based barber, explored the origin of his business and navigating the COVID-19 pandemic with a cameo from Smith's teammate Christian Popoola Jr.

Adding to the ever-growing collection of innovations from the School of Industrial Design was Fannar Omarsson of men's soccer. His concept, Röntgen, serves as a stabilized handheld X-ray machine that allows for patients' diagnostic imaging from the comfort of their home. Inspired by his own time spent in the hospital under various imaging devices years ago, the Seltjarnarnes, Iceland native looked to streamline the process and make it more accessible to people in remote areas of developing countries where diagnostic imaging is not available.
 
"To have my work included in the Spring Show was definitely an honor," Omarsson said. "I was thrilled when I noticed my project got in. It was in the middle of the night when I heard the news and I got so excited, but I couldn't tell anybody because everybody was asleep. Röntgen was a very challenging product to design given the fact that I didn't have any idea how medical devices work. They're very complex, but with a lot of research, I was able to develop a concept of an X-ray machine. My main focus was always keeping it handheld for easier use and more maneuverability. Then I went for a compact device so it's easier to transport between places while incorporating a 3-D capturing system for a quicker and accurate diagnosis. Resulting in a handheld X-ray machine I named Röntgen, which is the Icelandic translation of X-ray."

Along with Omarsson in the School of Industrial Design, recent women's golf graduate Elan Hawkins had her "Footwear for the Future" lead to yet another appearance in Spring Show. Her concept, "Project X-Treme Adapt," would "enhance the user's physical capabilities while traversing through various elemental conditions and environments" utilizing biotechnology 50 years ahead in an apocalyptic future. Inspired by forecast surroundings and complete with evolving prototypes, the shoes would offer features like "regenerative embryonic stem cells that sense information through its porous structure" and "coloration states that react to different situational circumstances."

Three stages in the progression a cute laundry scene came from recent softball graduate Austyn Matlick within the School of Visual Development. The sketch to full color rendition was created in her course, Illustration 243 Advanced Perspective for Illustration, Film & Games.

Another award-winning project was featured in the portfolio of men's soccer graduate Dylan Ingle. Both collaborative designs, Ingle worked with four others on the "Kid of Parts at the Bayview Commons Apartments" and nine others on the "UNITY Pavilion for Northridge Cooperative Housing." Through live and online workshops with the building's residents, the second installment in the partnership between the Bayview Commons Community and San Francisco Housing Development Corporation sought to develop a "vibrant gathering and imagination space for all the residents, especially the 29 children" with an outdoor furniture installation in an existing courtyard. After earning the B.Arch Community Building Award, the space officially opened in April 2021. Continuing his work with the NCH community, Ingle's project helped provide a space for cooking, eating, and storytelling within the community garden in the Hunters Point neighborhood. It included a raised deck with a view of the bay, counters, benches, and a movable kitchen table for cooking demonstrations.

Artwork from School of Illustration and men's cross country/track & field student-athlete Hudson Lockette could be found in various locations inside the 2021 Spring Show. His piece "Swallowed by Machines," done for his Illustration 270 Digital Clothed Figure course, employs graphical shapes in a stylistic exercise. Appearing in the Game Development "Gallery" are two of Lockette's other pieces including a "Hellish Cowboy" character and a portrait of actor Sam Elliot. The former achieved the goal of creating a character portrait with a sinister feel, mixing the iconography of "The Old West" with that of Satanism, while the latter was a six-hour digital painting focused on rendering which allowed Lockette to pursue his love of facial details. 

"It's exciting to be included in the Spring Show this year, and to see my work next to so many great pieces by other students," Lockette said. "I'm at the point in my major where I am putting out more finished pieces and it is nice to be able to display them."

Complete with a documentary exploring her journey, 2014 School of Fashion graduate and former softball student-athlete Julie Martin found herself featured in the School of Art Education after receiving her master's degree in 2020. Now a full-time teaching artist at Convent & Stuart Hall in San Francisco, Martin's "Art Advocacy Project" concluded with the discovery that "hat art education and creative expression is absolutely essential for healing and resilience during distressing times" and that "it brought a level of community and connection that was lost during the pandemic."

Among several of her collections, former women's tennis student-athlete Kristina Gross' "Perfektion" stood out in the School of Fashion. Inspired by her Austrian heritage, Gross designed a series of gowns influenced by the Austrian-Hungarian princess Sissi that remind everyone to appreciate themselves amid a social media culture obsessed with the flawless.

Representing women's track & field in the School of Motion Pictures & Television, Hava Turner made her second appearance in the Spring Show for her documentary "I Am Capable." Delving into the journey of Dawn Harper-Nelson, Turner's piece follows the 100m hurdles Olympic gold and silver medalist's "journey from becoming an athlete to being a mom to then deciding to go after the Tokyo 2021 Olympics while attacking motherhood."

"To have my work included in the show was a great experience," Turner said. "I was in the show my sophomore year and never thought I would be in it again, so it's super rewarding. My documentary, 'I Am Capable,' is really special to me for many reasons. Over the summer, I trained with Dawn and learned so much from her and her husband/coach Alonzo. This documentary was a 'thank you' to them for setting such a beautiful goal for the Black community and especially Black women and mothers. Dawn gives us an example that we can have it all and don't have to choose between motherhood or chasing our dreams. In addition, this documentary is special because I did it in the midst of the pandemic and had to accomplish everything on my own. It was validation to me that I am in the right field and chose the right path for my career."

Women's track & field and School of Writing For Film, TV, & Digital Media graduate Jameela Muhammad was featured with her work on "The Last First Date." An NXT UP Fest nominee for Best Screenplay, Muhammad's selected scene tells the story of a young woman looking to her family for help as she prepares for a date.

From the School of Music Production & Sound Design for Visual Media, Gilly Miller of men's soccer capped his first year at Academy of Art with a spotlight in the Spring Show. The PacWest Newcomer of the Year's dramatic scoring of a "TRU" commercial illustrates his value to "listen closely and engage with a film director in order to support the narrative and develop unique ideas resulting in the best piece of work possible."

Honored at NXT UP Fest 2021, an awards ceremony hosted by the Schools of Entertainment, two student-athletes represented the School of Acting at Spring Show. Women's soccer goalkeeper Lara Pflicke (portfolio) saw her roles in "Burner" (Best Performance Actress In A Film) and "Confessions" (Best Performance Actress, Short Form) featured. A repeat winner at NXT UP Fest, men's track & field alumni Michael Houston (portfolio) had his Best Performance (Actor In A Film) role in "Crossroads" displayed along with a reel of his best work in various other roles. Click here to read more about this highly talented duo and their NXT UP Fest highlights.

Whether entering their respective design industries as 2021 graduates or continuing to build their portfolios in the coming years, these 25+ student-athlete Spring Show honorees represent some of the best and brightest artists Academy of Art has to offer.