Spring 2023 KU Design Symposium lineup


LAWRENCE — The School of Architecture & Design at the University of Kansas has announced programming for the Spring 2023 KU Design Symposium Lecture Series. 

The KU Design Symposium Lecture Series (formerly the Hallmark Symposium) was established in the Department of Design in 1984 to enrich the education of KU students through exposure to designers, artists and educators from around the world. In its 35-plus year history, the series has become a cultural asset to the local creative community beyond the Lawrence campus. 

All lectures begin at 6 p.m. and are free and open to the public either in person in Budig Hall, 130, or online via Zoom. See event site for details.  

 

Feb. 2 

This panel discussion with designers from Hallmark’s global headquarters in Kansas City will provide insights about what it is like to be a creative professional at one of the nation’s most iconic companies. Hallmark, which began as a one-person greeting card business in the early 20th century, is now a multifaceted media, retail, and manufacturing company employing more than 20,000 employees around the world. 

 

Feb. 16   

Janelle "Longanisa" Quibuyen is a Filipini-American graphic designer and artist. Her most recent work has been in the digital realm, strategizing and designing social media campaigns that transform complex ideas into digestible content and compelling stories that build and mobilize online communities. 

 

March 2  

Donny Rausch is an animator, visual effects artist, and KU alum. After completing several award-winning animation shorts, he was recruited to work as a paint artist on The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Since then, Rausch has worked on feature films such as Spider Man 2, Alice in Wonderland, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and many others. In 2016, his work on the bear attack sequence in the Academy Award-winning film, The Revenant, was awarded by the Visual Effects Society. 

 

March 23 

Pixy Liao is a multidisciplinary Chinese artist based in New York City. Born and raised in Shanghai, Liao’s work explores the fluidity, tensions, and persistence of cultural norms. Liao has participated in exhibitions internationally, including at Fotografiska, Rencontres d’Arles, Asia Society, the National Gallery of Australia, and many other others.  

 

April 6   

Gabriele Fumero is a graphic and type designer for the Associazione Archivio Tipografico, an organization focused on the preservation, study, and the practice of typographic arts in Torino, Italy. Fumero is one of five designers practicing within Archivio Tipografico’s in-house design collective, Studio 23.56. The studio has worked with clients that include A24, Apple TV, Gabriela Hearst, Marc Jacobs, and Taschen Books.  
 

April 20   

Jason Decker is an industrial design manager at Textron Aviation. A graduate of the KU Industrial Design program, he entered the aviation design field with extensive experience in graphic and illustration work and then quickly developed into a leading designer in the industry. A recipient of a 2022 Business Aviation Top 40 Under 40 Award for Innovation, Decker now leads multidisciplinary teams of design specialists for the global aviation company. 

 

May 4   

Shawn Brackbill is a photographer and director who has worked with some of the most iconic publications, brands, and artists in the world. His extensive portfolio includes editorial, fashion, and promotional projects for a range of clients that include publications such as ESPN, The New York Times, and Vogue, and brands such as Burberry, NIKE, and Oscar de la Renta. He has captured portraits of musicians ranging from Earl Sweatshirt to Elvis Costello to St. Vincent.