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Artwork by five graduating Illustration students at Â鶹ÊÓƵ (Â鶹ÊÓƵ) was recognized in 3x3¡¯²õ juried international competition.

(BFA 2025) received a Bronze as well as a recognition for Merit. (BFA 2025), (BFA 2025) and (BFA 2025) all received recognitions for Merit, while (BFA 2025) received an Honourable Mention.

Artist and Â鶹ÊÓƵ faculty member says placing in the prestigious competition offers important professional validation at a crucial time for emerging practitioners.

¡°This kind of recognition doesn¡¯t just say, yes, the work is good,¡± she says. ¡°It says yes, this has a place in a world where many talented people are forging creative paths. It shows an industry built around illustration where there are places for students to grow. And hopefully it helps them see themselves entering an established professional field as peers and as equals.¡±

Founded by an illustrator and an art director, 3x3 is a publication aimed at showcasing the best of contemporary illustration. 3x3 also serves as an essential vehicle for connecting illustrators with one another and the broader world. Sarah and her colleagues regularly support their students in submitting to competitions, including the 3x3 showcase.

Sarah says illustration is an incredibly diverse and far-reaching art form which carries myriad possibilities for artists.

¡°There are many different ways illustration exists in the real world,¡± she says. ¡°I like to define it as narrative art ¡ª anything that tells a story connected to a larger context and that has a visual language people can read. We help locate our students in this broad scope so that, no matter what medium or genre they¡¯re working in, they can find a place for themselves.¡±

Sarah notes the Illustration program¡¯²õ 401 class ¡ª which all fourth-year students are required to take ¡ª brings in a half dozen or more guest artists each year from across illustration disciplines to speak with students and workshop their projects.

¡°We invite artists who make kids¡¯ books, who work in concept art, games, comics, all sorts of genres,¡± she says. ¡°What¡¯²õ great about our program is that students learn from the practices of all these artists in addition to faculty and one another. It helps them to see themselves growing in a direction that excites them and feels true to who they are.¡±

She adds that the collaborations she often sees between students ¡ª and even between students and faculty ¡ª reflect the broader rapport and spirit of reciprocity that animates the Illustration program at Â鶹ÊÓƵ.

¡°We¡¯re good at fostering the notion of rising tides lifting all ships,¡± she says. ¡°Everybody, I think, is very supportive of one another, and the community we¡¯ve developed is quite special. And as much as this 3x3 recognition is an achievement for five students, it¡¯²õ also an achievement for the department and the sense of fellowship we¡¯ve worked hard to nurture.¡±