MSJ Art and Design

The Department of Creative Arts at Mount St. Joseph University proudly congratulates Swati Chopra, Associate Professor of Graphic Design, on receiving the 2025–2026 SOCHE Faculty Excellence Award.
This prestigious honor from the Strategic Ohio Council for Higher Education recognizes outstanding faculty across member institutions for excellence in teaching, scholarship, service, and dedication to student success.
This recognition follows another major honor for Swati earlier this year, when she received the Mount’s highest teaching award, the Clifford Award for Teacher of the Year. Together, these awards reflect her meaningful impact on students, colleagues, and the broader Mount community.
A hallmark of Swati’s work is the creation and leadership of the Design Hub, a faculty-led, student-powered design studio that gives students the opportunity to work on real-world projects for community partners and international clients. Through this experiential learning model, students build professional skills, strengthen their portfolios, and make meaningful contributions beyond the classroom.
As one student shared, “Swati Chopra is more than just one of our professors here at the Mount. She is a constant source of support, inspiration, and belief for her students, both inside and beyond the classroom. Her dedication to teaching does not end when class is over.”
Through her innovative teaching, commitment to experiential learning, and dedication to student growth, Swati exemplifies the excellence celebrated by the SOCHE Faculty Excellence Award.
Congratulations, Swati!
GraphicDesign DesignHub ExperientialLearning StudentSuccess

The HeART of the Community Student Art Show is now on view at the Delhi Event Center Arts Gallery!
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the opening reception of the 2026 HeART of the Community Exhibition. This special exhibition celebrates the creativity and talent of 140 student artists from eight area schools, selected by their art teachers to represent the outstanding work being created throughout our community.
We are especially proud to recognize the talented Mount St. Joseph University Art & Design students featured in this year’s exhibition:
Dahlia Baer – Regal Me; An Homage to Betty Ross
Vanessa Bodunde – Snack Attack
Erick Davis Jr. – OH YEAH!
Eric Reeves – King of Diamonds
Jordan Tinsley – Self-Portrait
Cheyenne Ginter – Self-Portrait
Lex Haffey – Hare
Ben Smith – Sailing
Tori Orbegozo – Vibrant Seashells
Cate Cole – Tuscan Seashells
Kaiya Steffen – Self-Portrait
The exhibition highlights the power of art education and the incredible creativity thriving throughout our schools and community. We invite everyone to visit the gallery, celebrate these artists, and experience the diverse perspectives that make our community so vibrant.
CommunityArt DelhiEventCenter

Congratulations to Carr Smith, junior Art Education major, on being selected by the Hyde Park Art Show Committee to receive a $2,000 scholarship!
The committee shared that they were impressed by Carr’s artistic ability across a variety of media, as well as their enthusiasm for bringing art opportunities into surrounding communities through art education.
Carr will be recognized at the awards presentation on Sunday, October 4, during the Hyde Park Art Show.
We are so proud of all you have accomplished, Carr!

Celebrating the incredible career of Ulli Brinksmeier, Associate Professor in MSJ’s Department of Creative Arts, as she retires after nearly three decades at the Mount.
A master harpist, dedicated educator, generous colleague, and lifelong learner, Ulli’s legacy is one of artistry, curiosity, service, and deep care for students. From Juilliard to the Mount, from the classroom to the concert stage, and even to the iconic harp moment in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, her journey has been nothing short of inspiring.
We are so grateful for the beauty, wisdom, and grace she has shared with our community. Her influence will continue to resonate through the students, colleagues, and musicians she has touched.
Congratulations, Ulli! You will always be part of the Mount’s creative heartbeat.

Students in Darkroom Photography had their final Critique last night!

As one of their final projects, the Advanced Drawing students completed large scale charcoal drawings exploring the human figure and perspective. It took lots of time, creativity, and organization to make these happen, and our students prevailed.

Two of these mural-sized drawings can be seen this summer in the student show at the San Giuseppe Gallery.

Prof. Chopra’s Web: UI/UX class wrapped up the semester with fantastic final presentations!
Our esteemed guest critique panel included our fabulous professors Kurt Grannan, Emily Wiethorn, Carolyn Althoff, and our Chief Mission Officer, Joe Shadle. A bit shout out to Eva and Brie for their support as well! Students showcased the full process behind the applications they designed, from concept development and research to final working prototypes.
The panel was thrilled with the creativity, problem-solving, and thoughtful user experiences presented. Great reviews all around and a wonderful way to celebrate a semester of hard work!

Our Design Type 1 class, taught by Prof. Swati Chopra, wrapped up final presentations with our wonderful guest critics, Provost Steve Almquist and Prof. Grannan.
Students showcased the details of type design, typesetting, and the powerful play of typographic color studies they explored throughout the semester. It was a great way to celebrate their hard work, creativity, and growth, and we had a blast!

Feeling sentimental 🥹

Tonight the graphic design seniors had their final meeting over chips and salsa and more! There has never been a dull moment throughout the four years they shared together at The Mount.

Good luck to all of our art and design seniors as you jump into the next chapters of your lives 💛 This is never goodbye, only see you later!

Seniors share your favorite moment on campus or quote from your favorite mount people! 🎓

Our Hand to Pixel class, taught by Prof. Swati Chopra, had a fantastic final presentation!
Students shared the full range of projects they developed throughout the semester, including typeface design, movie posters, branding and packaging, and book cover designs.
A special thank you to our guest critics, Dean Mike Sontag, Prof. Grannan, and graduating senior Sadie Haverbusch, for joining us and offering thoughtful feedback. They were truly impressed by the creativity, skill, and growth on display.
What a great way to wrap up the semester!