Two HAS students are featured in GDUSA (Graphic Design USA), as part of the ‘Students to Watch’ section. Additionally, the Visual Communications Design department has been recognized as part of the annual ‘Top 50 Graphic Design Schools’ section. This year’s recognition is the seventh consecutive year that GDUSA has featured the Hartford Art School as well as its students.
This year’s students who are honored in the magazine are Halle Angell ’25 and Sandy Le ’25. Of her experience at HAS, Le says that she has been “taught to design with purpose.” Additionally, she feels that she has grown more confident “in my strengths and skills as a designer—which has been useful during interviews and portfolio reviews.”
HAS faculty John Nordyke shared the news on behalf of the VCD department, saying “we are very proud to have the department and students earn such honors. It is particularly rewarding considering that graphic design is one of the most numerous programs in art and design schools —and each list also identifies graduate programs or graduate students!”
Additionally, Nordyke notes that in addition to this honor, HAS students regularly receive the CADC (Connecticut Art Directors Club) and AIGA CT scholarships as well as awards each year. Nordyke himself has also had work accepted in GDUSA’s Annual Graphic Design Awards from 2017–21, and 2023 and 2024. Last year, faculty member Michael Scricco was honored by CADC as the 2024 Hall of Fame inductee, in addition to a number of VCD students winning the Gold, Silver, and Excellence Awards.
Our previous story on this can be found here.