emily van hoff: Trinity Mag!

I'm pretty much famous now. :)

Trinity Mag, Spring 2013

The text is below:

The artist leans over her paper in the studio space she also calls home in Chicago. She is a self-proclaimed “maker of things” and “perpetual paper folder” who likes to keep her hands occupied with creating art. As she works on a new wedding invitation design, her cat Laszlo curls up in the pile of scrap paper to provide quality control.

Alumna Emily Van Hoff ’11 graduated from Trinity with a degree in Studio Art with a concentration in graphic design, a major she found to be especially beneficial because of the variety of art classes required. Her Trinity art education was also formational in the mentorship relationships she had with professors; the opportunity to work with professional artists on installations in the College’s Seerveld Gallery; the proximity of Chicago’s art scene; and the time spent working with fellow art students in the Art and Communication Center studios.

Now a freelance designer, Van Hoff was recently awarded a 2013 West Michigan Silver ADDY award. The American Advertising Federation’s ADDY Awards are the advertising industry’s largest and most representative competition, recognizing and rewarding creative excellence.

Van Hoff, collaborating with a team from Hyde Creative,* received the award for her work on the Steelcase Foundation Annual Report. The original artwork, later photographed for the report, involved an intricate design of highly structured cuts and folds and represented the ways each organization had used its funding to make an impact on its community.

Van Hoff explains the process on her blog:

Each story starts with a single sheet of paper to represent the funding from Steelcase. A series of highly structured cuts and folds reveals an intricate design through shape and shadow to show the ways each organization has taken the funding and used it to make an impact on their communities. The entire sheet of paper remains intact, leaving no waste just as every bit of the funding is used to its fullest extent. Although the art is mostly abstract, I worked hard to make sure there was a connection to each story.

Early influences for the design began in Van Hoff’s sculpture classes at Trinity. “I feel so honored to be recognized for my work,” said Van Hoff. “Receiving this award has affirmed my decision to pursue my passion for design and sculpture at Trinity.”

To view Van Hoff’s work, visit www.emilyvanhoff.com.

*Sherrie Wilson, writer. Emily Van Hoff, cut paper art. Rachel Hyde, concept, art direction and design.

And here are a few of the photos from the photoshoot for the article.

Photo credit: Sam Mahtani. Check out more of his work here.