Thank you, Show Stoppers!
New Haven, Conn. (July 18, 2023) — The Connecticut Art Directors Club (CADC), a nonprofit organization dedicated to celebrating and empowering Connecticut’s creative community, hosted its 47th annual awards show on July 11, 2023. Held at New Haven’s East Rock Market, the show recognized the work of students and professionals across eight categories: advertising, environmental design, graphic design, illustration, online/interactive, photography, student and video.
Living up to its Show Stoppers theme, the prize-winning work represented some of the best design and creative ideas produced in Connecticut. Creatives cheered each other’s success, with winners receiving a Gold, Silver or Excellence award based on scoring. Gold award recipients were also eligible for a Judge’s Award, the Richard Hess Spirit of Creativity Award, and the coveted Best in Show.
REMEMBERING AN ICON
The 130-plus attendees from all over the state also took time to honor the late Peter Good, a Connecticut design legend best known for the iconic Hartford Whalers logo. In his speech remembering Good, John Visgilio, CEO and founder of Overabove, challenged the crowd to see and be the kind of person—personally and professionally—that Good had been. “Let’s remember to take some time over the coming weeks to see what Peter left for us. To be inspired by his lifetime of work. To see something differently because of what Peter saw,” he said.
HALL OF FAME AND FUTURE STARS
The club also celebrated the induction of Richard Hollant, Principal, Strategy + Design of CO:LAB, into the CADC Hall of Fame. Passionate about doing meaningful creative for organizations that do meaningful work, Hollant said, “I’ve stopped designing for my client-partner’s audiences and have committed the remainder of my career to design for my client-partners, themselves so they can see themselves. I know what they stand for, what they want to see more of in the world, and it’s all beautiful and daring, and it defies the grist mill narratives. Let’s lift that up.”
He went on to add that these principles were the driving force behind the Free Center, adding “…we are all in this together. That’s why we do everything we can at our audacious little nonprofit to say yes to our community, in support of the things that matter to them—to us.”
In addition, three students were awarded with the Monica Wolff and Randall Smith Scholarship. These individuals are Jordyn Brousseau, University of Hartford; Millie Hamlin, University of Hartford; and Angel Maung, Tunxis Community College.
SHOW STOPPERS
At the end of the evening, the top prizes for creativity were presented to the most outstanding pieces. Those awards and recipients were:
Best in Show: Rock & Royalty Invitation, Firebrick Design
Emerging Excellence: 17 Invisible Cities, UConn Graphic Design
Spirit of Creativity: Say Something, UConn Digital Media & Design
Digital Media Connecticut Award: Say Something, UConn Digital Media & Design
Judge’s Awards:
BEST E / The Practice, Pedagogy and Activism of Edvin Yegir, UConn Graphic Design
Mi Avo Violeta, UConn Graphic Design
Pairs, UConn Graphic Design
Say Something, UConn Digital Media & Design
All the winning CADC Award Show work, along with the names of the creators, may be viewed online. For more information about the Connecticut Art Directors Club, please visit the website
ABOUT THE CONNECTICUT ART DIRECTORS CLUB
The Connecticut Art Directors Club (CADC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to celebrating and empowering Connecticut’s creative community. Founded in 1975, the CADC offers networking and social activities, programming, and unique student opportunities – all designed to foster a more creative industry through professional growth and mentorship. Learn more about the organization at cadc.org or follow them on Instagram and Facebook.