"Eye-opening," "intriguing" and "shocking" are words that describe "Water/ Politics/ and Hope," a powerful graphic design exhibit presented in the HFAC to invoke change and awareness.

This exhibit, which will be up until March 28, 2008, is presented in an informative and interesting way as it educates its viewers on the impact water has on the world.

"We came up with this exhibit idea as a class," said Linda Sullivan, teacher of the art class and head of the visual arts department. "It is a special problems class. We came up with this idea to show projects other than just what are placed in a portfolio that only future employers and interviewers see."

"A lot of times we're interpreting cultural themes that are already out there," graphic designer Keenan Cummings said. "The exhibit is tied to things that people understand and that are very relevant."

Nick Mendoza constructed a well-researched exhibit to display the amount of clean water each country has for use. Bottled water with flags represent each country. A red line behind the bottles indicates how much water a country needs for use in order for everyone to survive. The first few bottles are completely full with more than enough water for the nation to survive. However, toward the end of the wall, the bottles are hardly filled at all. The vast majority of the world's countries have an inadequate water supply.

Mendoza encouraged people to pick up the water bottles because the "nutrition facts" on the back are actually facts such as the life expectancy and infant mortality rate in each country.

Jenny Willardson designed two umbrellas, one that is facing to block the rain and another that is upside down to collect the rain. Rain is often seen as a negative thing in the United States and other affluent countries. This art is designed to show that other countries pray for rain because it is the key to their survival. It means fresh water and the means to survive for several more days.

Many of the graphic designers had certain organizations in mind and wanted people to become more aware of the good causes that they support.

Angie Panian constructed a water dispenser filled with dirty water. It represents her support for the Clean Water Act and encourages people to go to the Web site and write letters.

Libby Egan's piece shows how Play Pumps could work in Africa. They are on the playground and as children played the water would be pumped.

"I think this exhibit will start reactions and get people talking," Cummings said. "It is the show to see for the semester."

Jon Troutman's piece uses water as a metaphor. When objects are placed in water, the refraction of the light distorts them to look different than what they normally look like.

"We make judgments about people depending on their environment," Troutman said. "Our environment shouldn't determine how we view people."

All of the pamphlets and advertising for the exhibit have to do with liquid. Outside the HFAC there is a thick urethane poster with the title of the show engraved into it and the type filled with ice that melts through the day. They are handing out flyers that disintegrate when put in water, only leaving floating black letters.

Copyright Brigham Young University 18 Mar 2008