Loyola Marymount Professor Uses Graphic Design to Promote Social Justice

A professor at Loyola Marymount University is using art to promote social justice throughout her classes. Saeri Cho Dobson, associate professor of graphic design, teaches her students that graphic design is a medium that has the opportunity to persuade its viewers. When Cho came to LMU she was inspired by their Jesuit mission of promoting social justice so she began to partner with the Center for Service and Action which connected her with nonprofits in Los Angeles.

Cho centered her design entrepreneurship class on a final student project that incorporated social justice work. She explained how a group of her students “worked with the Lamp Community in downtown Los Angeles, which has art and music programs for homeless people. The students developed a project to design a portable, solar-paneled cell-phone charger for homeless people, who aren’t always welcome in cafes or restaurants as a place to charge their phone.” Cho hopes that her students learn they can foster community and a commitment to social justice through their designs.

To read more about Cho’s class, visit LMU news.

Cabrini University Hosts “The Art + Effect Poster Contest”

This past fall, Cabrini University sponsored its first poster contest for high school students. The contest was titled “The Art + Effect Poster Contest” and students submitted “conceptual posters using traditional media or computer-generated graphics that highlighted the theme of equality.” This theme was chosen because of Cabrini’s recent emphasis on advocating for universal humans rights and dignity.

Jeanne Komp, Associate Professor of Graphic Design, stated “the contest and exhibition allows us to share our social justice mission with the greater community. The topic of equality has been especially timely in America. With all the media coverage, we felt that this social topic would be one in which high school students could relate to the most.” There were a total of 59 submissions from seven high schools spanning across Pennsylvania and New Jersey. From these 59 submissions, 20 contest winners were chosen to be featured on Cabrini’s campus.

Click here to view photos from “The Art + Effect Poster Contest.” To read more about Cabrini’s poster contest, view Cabrini media.