Wittliff Honored with TAM Wilder Awards

RELEASED BY TEXAS STATE NEWS SERVICE — July 28, 2011

The Wittliff Collections honored with awards in all five categories of TAM design competition

SAN MARCOS, Texas—The Wittliff Collections at Texas State University-San Marcos has been honored by the 32nd annual Mitchell A. Wilder Publication Design Awards Competition, sweeping five awards in all five categories.

The awards are presented by the Texas Association of Museums (TAM). Created to recognize achievement in graphic design and media production and to encourage quality in public presentations, the Wilder Design Competition drew 40 entries from museums of all sizes, regions, and disciplines throughout the state of Texas.

“The Wilder Awards Competition draws the very best examples of graphic design from museums throughout Texas. I am pleased to see that award winners represent museums of many different kinds, both large and small,” said Ruth Ann Rugg, executive director of TAM. “The quality of this year’s field is excellent and I look forward to putting them on view at the TAM Annual Meeting for the membership to see.”

Museums must be institutional members of TAM to enter the competition. Entries are limited to one per category. The five categories include: Invitations and Development Campaign Materials; Newsletters, Brochures and Announcements; Books and Catalogs; Marketing Materials, Supplementary Materials and Posters; and Non-Print Media. Entries must be produced or commissioned by the museum and must relate directly to the museum’s program.

"Needless to say, these awards reflect very well on our entire staff, "said the Wittliff's interim director, Steve Davis, "all of whom contribute to our publications. The awards also recognize the very talented co-designers of the Painted Light book: Bill Wittliff, Kate Breakey, and Ellen McKie at UT Press. But in particular these awards are a testament to Michele Miller, and the first-class work she does on our behalf. Michele has now won 26 design awards over the last nine years—a feat unmatched by any publications professional in any Texas museum."

Wittliff Collections 2010 Wilder awards include:

• Book Category: Painted Light — GOLD
Painted Light by Kate Breakey, designed by Ellen McKie of UT Press, Bill Wittliff, and Kate Breakey, was published October 2010 in the Wittliff’s Southwestern & Mexican Photography Book Series.

• Invitations Category: Cormac McCarthy Exhibition Event Invitation — GOLD
Designed by Michele Miller, Wittliff Collections Media Relations & Publications Specialist.

• Marketing Materials Category: Poster Series for 2010 Visiting Writers — SILVER
This poster series, designed by Michele Miller, advertises the visiting writer readings co-hosted by Texas State’s creative writing program and the Wittliff Collections. Each poster features a poem or excerpt by a specific writer matched with an evocative photograph from the Wittliff’s permanent holdings. Postcards are then created using the same images for distribution across campus.

• Newsletter Category: The Keystone, Fall 2010 — SILVER
Designed by Michele Miller, The Keystone has won nine awards since its launch in the fall of 2003, including one CASE District IV Grand Award.

• Non-print Media: The Wittliff Collections Website — MERIT
Designed by Wittliff staff and the Jolly Design firm of Austin; team leaders: Carla Ellard, Michele Miller, Connie Todd (director, retired).

After a day-long selection process, the judges named 25 Wilder Award winners at 14 institutions, as well as two Judge’s Favorites and one Best of Show. A total of seven gold certificates, seven silver certificates and 11 merit certificates will be presented during the Wilder Awards critique session on Saturday, Aug. 6 at the TAM annual meeting in Irving.

The TAM Council communications committee administers the competition, which is named in honor of Mitchell A. Wilder (1913-1979), founding director of the Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth, and an advocate of excellence in museum publication.

For more information, please contact the TAM office at 817.332.1177 or the Wittliff Collections at 512.245.2313.