Date of Defense
4-24-2025
Date of Graduation
4-2025
Department
English
First Advisor
Becky Cooper
Second Advisor
Jennifer Townsend
Abstract
It is important for undergraduate artists to have an understanding of the artistic market before they start their careers. This project will provide students with the opportunity to experience the process of getting published in a formal academic journal utilizing resources from others pursuing post-secondary education in different fields. The Laureate is an art journal composed of undergraduate pieces. It gives students an opportunity to have their art(s) recognized, such as written works, photography and other visual arts. Allowing for students to have experience with an official publication, The Laureate is an engaging journal that culminates in a celebration of the publication in April. This project is important as it not only provides a creative outlet for undergraduate students of all majors, including those that are considered to not be creative in nature, but it also creates an authentic situation regarding the submission and approval process of an official publication. In addition to the artists and contributors gaining familiarity with this process, we were able to cultivate our own authentic experiences regarding the actual production of The Laureate. As co-Editors-in-Chief, the aim was to review and accept submissions, edit and approve the layout, and encourage students to apply in the following year by organizing a launch celebration. The overall process began with advertising the journal across campus to attract potential contributors. As submissions came in, they had to be organized and then from there reviewed and ranked based on their potential. From there, the submissions were organized into a layout with regards to the theme, topic, and overall tone of each individual piece. Then, the works were all evaluated for any edits that they may need and contact was made with all of the contributors for consent to make those edits. After that, the edits were made and the piece was sent to the design center to perfect and embellish the layout. With hard work from all parties involved, the 22nd edition of The Laureate became available online and was presented in its final form at the launch party. Overall, this project was extensive and required a lot of involvement from many different parties to create the final work, however it also created an authentic artistic and professional experience for everyone included in the process.
Recommended Citation
Famiano, Nadia, "The Laureate" (2025). Honors Theses. 3904.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/honors_theses/3904
Access Setting
Honors Thesis-Open Access
Reflection