By JOHN WYATT – STAFF WRITER
Vantage Point, the student-run magazine highlighting various literary and artistic works from students, is teaming up with the Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University to design their upcoming issue.
Students at the Art Institute under the instruction of Associate Professor of Illustration Margaret Kimball will be designing this semester’s issue of Vantage Point.
Vantage Point is a publication run by students that contains various prose, poems, photos, and illustrations, among other works. It first came to fruition in 1967 and has been running ever since, showcasing the talent of Centre students. Creative writing professor Lisa Williams serves as faculty advisor.
“We also do some art contests and photography contests on top of publishing literary works,” vice president of Vantage Point and senior Bryan Carroll said.
The staff of Vantage Point have sent the template off to Boston already. Kimball and her students are currently working on the template, adding illustrations to student’s stories and poems along with designing themes that fit within the issue. The project is being taken on as a senior project for Kimball’s students who recieve class credit and experience.
“It works out as a project for them. They’re treating us as a client that they would have in the business world,” Carroll said. “It gives a visual aspect to the magazine that we never had before.”
“They are doing small illustrations throughout the book [and] they’re also designing the cover and the layout of the magazine,” president of Vantage Point and senior Danika Isdahl said.
This partnership came out of a previous project with Kimball, who serves as Associate Professor of Illustration at Lesley University in Boston.
“She had one of her classes illustrate our flash fiction pieces from a spring semester fiction class with [Fiction Professor] Dr. Moody, so she proposed we do that again with Vantage Point and we jumped at the opportunity,” Isdahl said.
Members of Vantage Point are optimistic about the future partnership with Kimball and hope that it can happen again in the near future.
“We hope to continue to work with them. We’re starting to learn how they work and vice versa, so the whole project is becoming more synergetic,” Carroll said. “While we don’t know how free her students will be or how interested they will be, the relationship between Margi and Vantage Point is set,” Isdahl said.
Isdahl and Carroll both share personal goals they would like to see for Vantage Point upon leaving Centre.
“So far I think it’s picked up a lot this year, so I’m just excited that people are looking forward to it and asking about it and wanting to read it,” Isdahl said. “I know for the Class of 2017, when they’re seniors it will be the 50 anniversary, so I’d like to see what they do. In the past we’ve had things like alumni issues or even faculty/staff issues, so I hope they do something special for that.”
“I want it to continue to grow. There are a lot of really good writers at Centre and I like people being able to read their work,” said Carroll. “I think having a more visual project will really help with its growth; that’s what I’m really excited for.”
The issue is currently still a work in progress, but Centre students can expect to have the Vantage Point in their hands sometime towards the end of the month.
“We are expecting to have the book back from the printer’s on the 22nd, and release them after the release party on Nov. 23,” Isdahl said. “Everyone’s welcome to the release party … It’s a chance for writers to read their stuff to students, and it’s always a good time.”
For more information on Vantage Point literary magazine and on how to submit for the Spring of 2014 issue, contact Danika Isdahl, Bryan Carroll, or Derek Beaven.