Recent Grace College art graduate Sarah Pratt (left) and Grace College Art Department chair Prof. Art Davis (right) display several of the illustrations Sarah has done for a forthcoming BMH Book entitled “Heroes Who Live On, Vol. 2.” The illustrations shown here are of Dr. Orville Jobson and of Frances and W.A. Ogden.
The Grace College Art Department and the Brethren Missionary Herald Publishing Company (BMH) of Winona Lake, Indiana, have recently formed a joint partnership to provide publication services while giving hands-on experience to current students and recent graduates.
Terry White, Executive Director and Publisher of BMH, explained that the BMH Books division is using student interns and recent graduates from the college to set and proof type for books, to create illustrations, and to design covers for certain products. BMH is the communication/publishing arm of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches.
“It’s a great working relationship for us,” White said. “Because our offices are only three buildings apart, we can easily harness the creativity of the students along with excellent faculty supervision from Professor Davis.”
Prof. Art Davis, chair of the Art Department, said the arrangement presents a unique opportunity for his students and recent graduates.
“Students have the advantage of face-to-face communication with the client,” Davis said, “and they are building a portfolio of published work that will give them a distinct advantage in marketing their creative skills.”
A new visual identity for BMH was developed through a contest conducted in a senior graphics class last year. Students submitted designs for logo, stationery, business cards, and other promotional items. BMH staff met with the students several times to refine ideas, narrowed the submissions to several finalists, and eventually adopted the design concept of senior Laura Hoffard as the company’s new corporate logo.
More recently, a series of twelve portrait illustrations for the book Heroes Who Live On was drawn by graduate Sarah Pratt, who is also designing the cover for the paperback. In addition, students and alumni of the Art Department are typesetting and designing a number of other books and publishing projects for BMH.
For more information about Grace College, log onto www.grace.edu or email Prof. Art Davis at davisaw@grace.edu. BMH Books’ website is www.bmhbooks.com.
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