New Animation Class to Be Celebrated in Reception for Ongoing Exhibition

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

CANYON, Texas — Students in West Texas A&M University’s new video animation class will be recognized at an Oct. 21 reception celebrating their first exhibition.

The students and some notable alumni are featured in “The Animation Show,” hanging through Oct. 30 in the Dord Fitz Formal Gallery in Mary Moody Northen Hall on WT’s Canyon campus. The reception will run from 5 to 7 p.m.

“This show and the new animation class has been a long time coming,” said Marcus Melton, associate professor of graphic design. “I couldn't be more pleased with the results of the first class.

“The students did a great job and exceeded my expectations,” Melton continued. “We have had animation projects before and have been inspired by motion design for years. For example, our good friends at Picturemill, Bill Lebeda and Dustin Reno, who happen to be WT graphic design alums, are doing amazing things. If you watch movies, you have seen their work.”

For a decade, Melton has incorporated animation projects in several classes, including web/interactive design and motion design classes.

“This new class will provide students even more experience in motion design, expanding their skill set and the value they will bring to their future profession,” Melton said.

Lebeda earned his bachelor’s degree in graphic design in 1990 and is now creative director of Picturemill. Reno earned his bachelor’s degree in graphic design in 2011 and is the company’s art director. His joint work with wife Yizhou Li is featured in the show.

Picturemill has crafted some of the most memorable title sequences in film for the likes of 20th Century Fox, ABC, Lucasfilm, Paramount, Disney, Universal and many more.

Students featured in the show include Mariah Aytch, junior graphic design major from Amarillo; Adrian Ballesteros, senior graphic design major from Amarillo; Trinity Deluna, junior graphic design major from Amarillo; Christiana Dickson, senior graphic design major from Dalhart; Caroline Keenan-Kingston, senior art major from Amarillo; Cree Lespierre, senior graphic design major from Dallas; Tanner Mahan, senior graphic design major from Canyon; McKenna McClenny, junior graphic design major from Amarillo; Angel Pulido, junior graphic design major from Amarillo; and Emily Wood, senior art education major from Canyon.

Fostering an appreciation of the arts is a key component of the University’s long-term plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World. That plan is being fueled by the historic, $125 million One West comprehensive fundraising campaign.

About West Texas A&M University

WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of about 10,000 and offers 60 undergraduate degree programs, 40 master’s degrees and two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

—WTAMU—