Ohio University 1804 Woodstock T-Shirt (2024 Winner)

The Bobcat Store has partnered with the school of Art + Design on a contest for students to submit designs for t-shirts that celebrate Ohio University and Athens, Ohio. Students submitted their designs to a jury of faculty, advancement staff, and alumni who selected three winning students to produce their designs. The winners all received a scholarship for their work. This t-shirt is one of three winning designs! See below for information about the artist!

Artist Statement:

My name is Bel Crawford, I am a junior Graphic Design BFA and a minor in sustainability and Resilience student. I am passionate about integrating my love for animals and conservation into my design work. I aspire to create a positive environmental impact through design. I am currently the graphic designer for Ohio Campus Recycling and have learned a lot in my time there. I also really enjoy designing for the local music scene in Athens and upcycling clothing. The goal of my design work is to communicate information in the most visually interesting way I can. My philosophy is that if I make something functional and cool enough it won't end up as waste anytime soon.

This design was inspired by not only the campus of Ohio University but the energy of the community. I wanted to create something to honor the alumni, but something that felt new and fresh, that current students would want to wear. That's how I landed on the current design. The design is based on a tree stump, it's encircled by mushrooms as well as local flora and fauna that I feel are unique staples to our beautiful campus.  It's heavily inspired by Woodstock and hippie motifs associated with the baby boom generation. I think a lot of people find the feelings of the hippie movement and the baby boom generation relatable and 70's trends have come full circle back into style, reflecting the angst and want for social change that ties these two generations together.