by Tricia Duke '19

After more than a year of planning, a six-student team of designers led by Visiting Professor of Art Tim Stedman released the first edition of X, a new annual visual arts journal.

X fills a unique niche in the ecosystem of Knox publications. “The other magazines on campus all grew out of the English department, and as they grew they began displaying some media. X, on the other hand, has grown out of the art department,” said Nola Thompson '18, media head for X.

In the essay that prefaces this edition of X, Nicholas Nurre '18 describes how even the title of X is intended to showcase the relationship between text and art, as X is both a letter in a language and its own icon visually.

“As a group, we have a particular interest in how to best display words and images on a page. I think this is very apparent when you hold or look at the book itself,” Thompson said.

In addition to the digital arts, the journal includes photographs of both two-dimensional and three-dimensional art pieces from the galleries in the Whitcomb Art Center. Web design, oil paintings, sculptures, and screen prints are displayed side by side, each word of descriptive text placed deliberately around them.

Stedman stated that the success of this visual arts publication is a testament to the success of the art departments at Knox. “I want to extend thanks to my colleagues in the Department of Art and Art History,” Stedman said. “A publication like this relies on strong artwork and we are fortunate to have a consistently strong talent pool here at Knox.”

In addition to art majors, the editorial team also drew from several other fields of study including biology, environmental science, computer science, and business.

Thompson said that having a wide range of academic backgrounds helped in the brainstorming and development of the magazine.  

“The way we came up with the new name and came to our final layouts was very similar to the scientific method,” she said. “Coming from a variety of backgrounds helped us when it came to re-branding and advertising.”

Stedman says what he would like most understood about the publication, "is that the success of the journal ultimately relied on the passion and professionalism brought to it by the team that produced it. They handled the work at a level consistent with designers I’ve worked with in my lengthy professional career.”