Unruh Student Award in Illustration

The Unruh Student Award in Illustration is awarded by Unruh’s alma mater, Washington University in St. Louis (Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts). The award in perpetuity resulted from proceeds of Unruh’s posthumously published book, Fish & Other Stories as My Pen Remembers Them, a compilation of pages from Unruh’s sketchbook journals filled with fishing, hunting and travel images. He used journals to sketch images, make visual as well as written notes and, in general, amuse himself. Unruh felt strongly about collecting his thoughts this way and wanted to encourage young artists to actively keep journals for their own benefit. The cash award is given to graduating BFA students for excellence in their sketchbook practice.

2023 Award – Maggie Liu
BFA in Communication Design/Minor in Psychological Brain Sciences.

“Sketchbooks have become a major part of my artistic practice because of my senior studio courses. They are an important tool for any artist’s growth.

As a child, I dreamed of becoming an artist who could turn the mundane and ordinary into beautiful and extraordinary.

I consider myself a designer, illustrator and occasional animator.

I aspire for a career where I can integrate these skills and make others happy with my work. My long-term goal is to design and illustrate in book publishing, specifically for children’s books.

I often find inspiration in nostalgia of places, people, and things from my childhood. I strive to understand and express my Taiwanese-American heritage and culture through my art and share it with others. 

Receiving this award is such an honor and an encouragement to continue moving forward as a professional artist. Thank you Jack!”

Website: http://maggieliu086e.myportfolio.com/

Instagram: instagram.com/meimeitaro_560

2022 Award – Elliott Wyatt
BFA in Communication Design/Minor in Writing.

 “For me, drawing is a way of merging the material and spiritual aspects of life together and creating new reality. While I've never succeeded in keeping a written journal regularly, my sketchbook has always helped organize and preserve everyday musings and fleeting impressions. The sketchbook is freeing because it has no real audience outside of myself. I often revisit these later and expand certain ideas into more complete projects.”

 “I am a visual artist specializing in fantasy art, working primarily with watercolor, ink, colored pencil, and sometimes digital techniques and am pursuing a career as a graphic artist/ designer. Through my work I hope to preserve and expand upon the tradition of illustration, which Jack Unruh also contributed.”

Contact: robert.wyatt@wustl.edu
Webcomic Capstone Project: https://sadastor.neocities.org/

2021 Award – Arthur Santoro
BFA in Communication Design with a focus on illustration.

“As long as I could draw, I’ve always had a sketchbook. But over the past year I’ve really begun to put more time into it. In the past I primarily used my sketchbooks for planning and brainstorming projects, but this year I’ve begun to use my sketchbook as a visual journal. I date each drawing and journal entry, and have so far not missed a day. My hope is that this process will both sharpen my illustration skills, and help me further appreciate the day-to-day moments that make up our lives.  

I am continuing my education at WashU to pursue an MFA in illustration and visual culture. My long-term goal is to teach illustration and design at the college level. I'm honored to receive the Jack Unruh award!  It has really excited me to work to improve upon my sketchbook work and process.  Thanks Jack!"

Website: https://ajsantoro.myportfolio.com/work

2020 Award – Emily Bielski
BFA in Communications Design/Minor in Writing.

"I have always considered myself very story oriented, and sketching allows me to experiment and organize different parts of narratives that I am working on, where I can investigate the best visual language and composition to convey a message or story. I think my brain works cinematically, and my sketchbook allows me to build and assemble the pieces of a scene together, be it for a long form story or a single illustration."

"I hope to be able to produce work and do good for the illustration industry, which is reflective of Jack Unruh’s values, work ethic and personhood."

Website: emilybielski.squarespace.com
Instagram: instagram.com/emily_bielski/

2019 Award – Jee Kim
BFA in Communication Design, cum laude.

Jee Kim’s capstone project, “Skidrow,” along with her illustrations was recognized in Communication Arts May/June 2019 Illustration Annual.

“For me, keeping a sketchbook has become an indispensable part of taking care of my love and passion for drawing. I think sometimes the pressure to make “good” work can be paralyzing in the sense that I find myself being too concerned about the destination before letting myself explore the process. Drawing mindlessly in my sketchbook brings me back to the state of simplicity, restores my love for the act of creating and It's a really good way to track what’s on my mind and catches my attention.”

“Thanks Jack Unruh!”

Instagram: instagram.com/homiejee/

2018 Co-Award – Taylor (Tay) Tuteur
BFA in Communication Design degree with a focus in illustration. 

“I don’t like keeping just a singular sketchbook. I have a bunch of sketchbooks with different types of papers and sizes. I HAVE to take a sketchbook when I travel. I enjoy drawing buildings and nature scenes and people around me. I can’t even give you an estimate of how many sketchbooks I’ve ever had, there’s too many to count!”

“I am flattered and honored to be recognized for my sketchbook work. Receiving the Unruh award has validated my desire to continue to make art and pursue it the rest of my life.”

Instagram: instagram.com/taytuteur.illo

2018 Co-Award – Ruby Rose
BFA in Communication Design and a Minor in Urban Studies.

“For me, sketchbooks are an any and every time thing. They're definitely a great way to record travels, but also let me transform any old moment into something interesting. The way that humor and half-baked thoughts mingle with snippets of overheard conversations couldn't be captured in any other place. I love that each of my sketchbooks acts as an artifact of where my head was at any given time. It is a space where one can feel okay with stumbling and an important way to sit with ideas in an unselfconscious way, I think everyone should have one, "artist" or not.”

Website: rubyrose.work
Instagram: instagram.com/rosegrows/

2017 Award – Shannon Levin
BFA in Communication Design with a concentration in illustration. Minor in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.

“I consider my sketchbook a safe and un-self-conscious place for me to process what I see and experience, whether it’s an onsite drawing or a comic based on an old memory. Professor Jeff Pike, who taught a sketchbook class in Florence, Italy my junior year, made us all brand the first page of our sketchbooks with this mantra that still holds true for me today: “Within this book, I cannot fail.” I've learned that the sketchbook itself is not a precious item - but how you experiment, learn, and fail within it, that is precious”. 

“Thanks to Jack for his amazing work and inspiring legacy”

Website: shannonlevin.com