As a part of an annual collaboration sponsored by World Literature At present and the College of Oklahoma’s College of Visible Arts, three OU college students have been chosen as winners of the 2025 Neustadt Lit Fest poster contest. Abigail Tharp, Lucy Kim, and Emily Parry gained first, second, and third place, respectively, for his or her designs.

Tharp’s successful design will probably be utilized in all of the promotional supplies for the 2025 Neustadt Pageant, slated for Oct. 20–22 on the OU campus. The internationally best-selling author Cherie Dimaline, winner of the NSK Neustadt Prize for Kids’s and Younger Grownup Literature, will headline the lit fest. A member of the Georgian Bay Métis neighborhood, Dimaline is the writer of The Marrow Thieves, named by Time journal as among the best YA novels of all time.

9 visiting writers can even convene because the jury to pick out the winner of the 2026 Neustadt Worldwide Prize for Literature and provides readings from their works. The pageant’s preliminary schedule of occasions is on the market on-line.

Since 2011, College of Visible Arts undergraduate coordinator Karen Hayes-Thumann has included the poster competitors as a part of her Visible Communication II course. Through the spring semester, WLT’s editor in chief, Daniel Simon, met with the scholars in particular person to assist them refine their ideas, and the journal’s artwork director, Parker Buske, additionally offered suggestions at key phases of the method. The WLT employees then selected the winners from among the many remaining designs.

“Annually, it’s all the time an exquisite expertise to assist choose the NSK poster contest,” mentioned Buske. “The scholars come ahead with a contemporary take and inventive outlook on our yearly laureate, and I’m all the time desirous to see what they bring about to the desk. This 12 months, we had a few stand-out posters that actually captured the playful nature and design fashion of our NSK winner, Cherie Dimaline. Abigail Tharp’s poster stood out amongst the lot, with a whimsical illustration, distinctive design touches, and a refined coloration palette. I’m excited to see her paintings come to life by means of our advertising supplies surrounding this 12 months’s pageant. Cheers to all the scholars who participated and put forth their lovely designs this 12 months!”

Initially from Yukon, Oklahoma, Abigail Tharp is pursuing a level in visible communications with a minor in digital advertising on the College of Oklahoma. She is motivated to contribute to the world by means of creativity and problem-solving. Abigail’s work is pushed by her fascination with digital artwork know-how and a ardour for exploring all artistic shops. You may view her work on Instagram at @abigaillysa.artwork.

Lucy Kim is a rising junior with a ardour for artwork and artistic media. She likes to work in a wide range of artwork varieties together with ceramics and portray. Whereas pursuing a level in visible communication at OU, she goals to strengthen her inventive abilities and develop as a designer. She hopes to journey the world, expertise new cultures, and discover artistic inspiration alongside the best way.

Emily Parry (emily__lois) is a twenty-year-old sophomore visible communications scholar from Vici, Oklahoma. Additionally minoring in digital advertising and artwork historical past, she enjoys drawing, collage, and hanging out with pals and family members in her spare time. Emily’s curiosity in graphic design stems from discovering emblem and model promoting as an trade, and from a historical past of digital drawing and illustration earlier than attending OU.