the Informer

The end of another school year at UHa is fast approaching and for seniors at the Art School this not only means completing a portfolio of their work, but also preparing for their senior exhibitions.

For Bob Machuga, the reality is setting in. As a Visual Communication Design (VCD) senior, Machuga is preparing for his exhibition at the end of April. Each senior must pass a rigorous portfolio review in the days leading up to the exhibition in order to be allowed to display his or her work.

Design portfolios are important to perfect because they are how employers view you. Portfolio reviews like this take place annually beginning sophomore year. Each time this happens new work is included, in addition to revisited projects from previous years.

This is certainly stressful, but extremely rewarding at the same time because it guarantees a high level of quality. “It motivates you to work harder every year,” Machuga said.

Machuga honed his artistic interests as a design student at a technical high school in Torrington, Connecticut. This allowed him to develop a style, and discover what career path he wanted to embark on. He declared his major after completing the first year foundations courses of HAS.

Once senior year rolled around, it was time to start developing the ideas from his proposal, due the first day of senior year. This proposal is what defines a VCD student’s senior year, with a thesis paper due in addition to teacher reviews throughout. The resulting project is the focal point of the VCD senior show.

After owning a hedgehog for a few years, Machuga realized how bad the packaging was for its food. This gave him an idea, and he began to look into the packaging and overall market of food products for exotic animals (like sugar gliders hedgehogs, and chinchillas.)

The lack of organic options also played a significant role in his decision to develop new branding as his senior project. Expanding this idea and filling a gap in a particular market has provided Machuga with ample ideas and a direction for his project.

Fast-forward several months and countless hours of hard work, and it became time to tie everything together. This is when everything Machuga has done really is put to the test. “It’s important because the senior exhibition is the culminating event of your four years at HAS.”

Machuga now faces the last few weeks with both excitement and hope for his final display. All the important details are crucial at this stage for senior HAS students who have to complete everything before their exhibition. Each VCD student has developed different projects, and thus each have aspects specific to their particular designs.

For a VCD student like Machuga, this means he has to finish coding and editing a website, worry about deadlines for printing all his materials, and designing a functional space for his portion of the senior exhibition.

The concept of commercialized arts verses fine arts is what sets the VCD exhibition apart from the rest. The presentation of their ideas is just as important as the idea itself.

“Having confidence is very important for the show, because at the professional opening there are scouts from various design firms who come specifically to view our work. Making sure your display is the best it can be is crucial,” Machuga said.

If people like your ideas, approach, and overall style, then the chances of landing a job right out of college increase. Also generating buzz about you helps to get your name out to the potential clients.

After college Machuga eventually wants to enter the retail and apparel business, hopefully to contribute to designing and conceptualizing items. Graduate school might also be an option down the line once more professional experience is gained. Overall, Machuga is excited and proud for the upcoming exhibition.

“Feast Your Eyes” has a professional opening on Friday, April 29 at 4:00 p.m. at Artspace in Hartford. The following night is the opening reception for the public from 5-8:00 p.m.