Chowan University Graphic Communications students Shelby Barlowe of Nebo, NC, and Gabby Wilson of Suffolk, VA, were announced as the NAPCO “Best of Show Student Award” Winners in the 2017 Printing Industry of the Carolinas (PICA) Awards Collegiate Print Competition.

The students worked under the guidance of Dr. Mitchell Henke, Associate Professor of Graphic Communications, in the advanced packaging course. Their entry, “Moment Subscription Box”, won Best of Category in the ‘Miscellaneous, Specialty or Novelty’ division.  The annual PICA Student Awards competition offers students the opportunity to enter their graphic communications work in one of 23 distinct print and packaging categories. From each category, a Best of Category selection is made. From those 23 selections, a Best of Show is designated.

The entry was selected from all the Best of Category division winners, which compromised entries from six colleges and universities from across the Carolinas. Both students will receive a $250 scholarship from the PICA Foundation. They were honored guests at the 2017 PICA Awards Banquet, held March 24, 2018 in Greensboro, North Carolina.

The PICA Awards competition is one of the largest printing contests in the nation. A panel of judges with extensive experience in printing and print production was brought in to examine the work. Each entry was judged on its own merit in a category with similar printed pieces.

Eight other students in Chowan's Communication Arts programs received awards in the collegiate competition:

Award of Excellence:

Student: Kayla Davis of Edenton, NC

Screen Printing: 2 or More Spot Colors, Textile

Entry Title: 3 Shades of Me – Kay

Award of Excellence:

Students: Marquis Kee of Seaboard, NC, Elion Ijames of Wendell, NC,

Davonte Graves of Durham, NC, Jordan Loud-Charles of Charlotte, NC

Digital Printing: Ink Jet Rigid

Entry Title: Gym in a Box Subscription Box

Best of Category & Special Judges Award:

Student: Evelyn Walker of Huntersville, NC

Digital Printing: Toner

Entry Title: Proverbs Poster Series

Special Judges Award:

Student: Melany Garcia-Lopez of Clemmons, NC

Digital Printing: Toner

Entry Title: PGSF Poster Design

Award of Excellence:

Student: Samantha Reece of Old Fort, NC

Digital Printing: Toner

Entry Title: Bauhaus Tribute Poster

Since 1931, The Printing Industry of the Carolinas, Inc. (PICA) has been dedicated to advancing the success of the Carolinas’ printing and imaging industry. Working together with Printing Industries of America, the world’s largest graphic arts trade association, PICA provides training, resources, and a voice of advocacy on both a state and national level. PICA is a trade association representing the graphic communications industry in North and South Carolina. North Carolina ranks as the 18th largest state print market in the United States with $3.7 billion in sales, 1410 total printing establishments and 22,111 employees.

Started in 1953, The Krueger School of Graphic Communications has been developing the talents of young people for placement into the graphic communications and printing industries for more than 65 years. Students who complete the program at Chowan University receive a four-year Bachelor of Science degree in Graphic Communications. For more information contact Tom Brennan, Chair, Department of Communication Arts, at brennt@chowan.edu or call 252-398-6207.