Kiersten Marshall,  a School of the Arts student in the class of 2020, is the winner of a $500 design prize for a Friends of VCU Libraries project. Marshall, a graphic design major from central Pennsylvania, says she frequently visits Cabell Library and does a lot of design work on the quiet third floor near a window.

The Friends invited students and recent alumni (2014 - 2018) to submit designs for a tee shirt. The design prompt was: What is your interpretation of the VCU Libraries?  

Marshall’s design shows three students working together at a table bearing the name VCU Libraries in VCU gold. “I was really thinking about collaboration, which I think a lot of people come to the library to work around other people or to work together,” says Marshall about her drawing.

The selection committee agreed that her interpretation focused on a key component of student work in today's academic libraries like  Cabell Library and Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences.

The committee chose Marshall’s illustration because it conveys that the library is the perfect place to foster communication, collaboration and interaction.

“The design is simple, yet expressive and dynamic with the overhead perspective,” said Friends board member Ashley Kistler, speaking for the selection committee.  

Honorable mentions in the competition went to:

• Adam Dabbs  
• Madison Donnelly  
• Alexis Hilliard-Worth
• Claire Ketch  
• Catherine Kiser
• Seulgi Smith  

These and other entries will be featured in a Cabell Screen exhibition starting April 13 and will be posted to an album on VCU Libraries' Flickr platform. 

The judging committee included representatives from the Friends of the VCU Libraries Board, VCU Libraries faculty and VCU School of the Arts faculty.

The artwork will be printed on a tee shirt. The art may also be used for other VCU Libraries materials such as thank-you cards, tote bags and in a Cabell Screen exhibit. The artist retains copyright.

Tee shirts will be sold online via Bonfire. All sale proceeds benefit VCU Libraries.