KU News Release

KU design students, alumna receive awards from Advertising Club of Kansas City

LAWRENCE — Five University of Kansas students and one recent graduate were among Omni Award winners honored by the Advertising Club of Kansas City at its annual presentation ceremony.

Five of the KU winners received Omnis for their Coterie Theatre poster designs, and one student took home gold and silver Omnis for her individual design entries.

Students from KU’s visual communications program are given the opportunity every spring to design posters for the Coterie Theatre and the Kansas City advertising agency Kuhn and Wittenborn. This is the third consecutive year KU students have taken home Omnis for their poster designs.

“The Coterie Theatre poster series is a wonderful project for our students, and I am so happy that their hard work has paid off again this year at the Omnis,” said Andrea Hertowski Wertzberger, KU assistant professor of design. “We are also so proud of the recognition that April’s work received at this year’s Omnis.”

The Omni Awards recognized work done in 2006 by professionals and students. Gold Omni winners receive trophies, and silver and bronze Omni winners receive recognition certificates. The Omnis are given annually with support from Kansas City-area advertising agencies and private corporate sponsors.

The American Advertising Federation sanctions the Omnis to reward creativity and excellence in broadcast, print, interactive, nontraditional, out-of-home and design media categories. Local award winners can advance to regional Addy Awards judging; regional winners can compete for national Addys.

Award-winning KU students are listed below by hometown, level in school, major, parents’ names, high school and award.

JOHNSON COUNTY
From Merriam 66203
April Harrison, junior in design; Marshfield High School; gold Omni for the “Kinetic Identity Stationery for the International Museum of News,” a stationary project; and silver Omni for “Complexity,” a series of poster designs.

LABETTE COUNTY
From Parsons 67357
Cecilia Roberts, senior in art, daughter of Richard and Mary Roberts; Parsons Senior High School; bronze Omni for “Country of the Blind,” a Coterie Theatre poster.

LEAVENWORTH COUNTY
From Basehor 66007
Erik Johnson, senior in visual communications and illustration, son of Lois and Howard Johnson; Shawnee Mission North High School; silver Omni for “The Giver,” a Coterie Theatre poster.

WYANDOTTE COUNTY
From Kansas City 66112
Julie Tonnu Vinh, senior in visual communications and graphic design, daughter of Hoang and Happi Vinh; Sumner Academy of Arts and Science; bronze Omni for “Country of the Blind,” a Coterie Theatre poster.

OKLAHOMA
From Edmond 73034
Chris Kramer, senior in visual communications and illustration, son of Sid and Terry Kramer; Edmond North High School; bronze Omni for “Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing,” a Coterie Theatre poster.

From Tulsa 74114
Katherine Ann “Katy “Livingston, 2006 graduate in design, daughter of John and Sue Livingston; silver Omni for “With Their Eyes: The View of 9/11 From a High School at Ground Zero,” a Coterie Theatre poster.

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