As curator of the Ideation X Gallery at Troy University’s Idea Bank, I work with students to create murals that are displayed on the interior and exterior surfaces of the facility. These are a few of the best from my Fall 2022 Typography class. The “IDEAtion X Gallery” is a result of a collaboration between the Sorrell College of Business’ IDEA Bank and the Department of Art and Design.

Students Showcased:
Jared Hester, Reanna Lee Thompson, Emily Cousins, & Laura Phelps.

Read the full story here.

My Department Chair, Greg Skaggs, and I decided to create a promotional video for our department that would showcase our students, faculty, facilities, and such. I served as executive producer of this promo video with my UX students serving as directors and writers in the Spring of 2022.

Artwork by Troy University Art and Design faculty members is currently on display at the International Arts Center in the exhibit “A Walk in the Forest.”

A reception for the exhibit is set for 6 to 8 p.m., March 31, and the work will be on display through April 13.

“A Walk in the Forest” includes artwork by Greg Skaggs, Department Chair and Professor of Art; Sara Dismukes, Associate Professor of Design; Duane Paxson, Adjunct Faculty in Art & Design; Will Jacks, Assistant Professor of Photography; Chris Stagl, Associate Professor of Graphic Design and Assistant Department Chair; Beverly Leach, Lecturer; and Dr. Kelly Berwager, Lecturer. The show includes a variety of media from sculpture, photography, painting, assemblage, and installation.

Read The Full Story Here

In 1997, I relocated from Ocala, Florida to Jacksonville, Florida – at the time, it was easily the biggest move of my adult life as I left home in the sticks for the big scary city on the coast. During my junior year of design school undergrad at UNF, I kicked around doing random jobs in the design industry: print ads, p.o.p., even some binding and folding at several of the local printing companies in Jacksonville thanks to my graphic arts program in high school, Lake Weir representing! Looking back, I made some incredible connections and lifelong friends in the industry – had some really cool client work in my portfolio for the likes of UF Health, Captiview Advertising, and Studio City – a well-known sports and senior photography outfit located between Jacksonville’s San Marco and Downtown areas. Specifically, I landed a part-time job with their outfit, Graphic Central Station, building sports templates with my good buddy Shane Bailey. Fast forward fifteen years later and I have been lucky enough to maintain my relationship with the CEO, Mike Luter, who keeps me quite busy, when I’m not in the classroom for Troy, creating how-to videos, banners, and other marketing materials for his new company PSU: Photography and Graphics Education. Kids, this is why it’s so important to not burn bridges and really, just to be nice to the people you meet along the way. Mike and I have been able to leverage each other over the past 15 years when needed. Here are a handful of brand new sports banners I created for PSU’s 2022 collection along with a before and after from a how-to demo so you can see where I begin and where I end.

At the end of last year, 2021, and the beginning of this year, 2022, I was able to deliver a 3-week seminar to two of Troy University’s International Sister Schools, the University of Zaragoza in Spain, and Changzhou Institute of Technology in China. The opportunity stemmed from the desire to keep international experiences at the forefront of our Art & Design department even amid the pandemic. I modeled the program around the idea of an introductory typography course that I offer here at Troy and worked one on one with students as they began to experiment and experience how we approach typography as design and communication in the states. Once the structure and projects of the seminar were developed, it was marketed to schools without a typography focus. The results were outstanding and I have since begun to install an international art showcase in our digital media lab located in the International Arts Center.

Featured Students:
Marta Burriel Leon
Alba Sanz Reglero
Eneko De Blas Eseberri
Iris Roche Romeo

This year, my Typography class collaborated with the Department of Theater to design Holiday Cards for their year-end show, “Sounds of the Season”.

Here are a handful of pieces that will continue to inspire me for many holidays to come.

Happy Holidays.

Featured Students:
Sofie Bilberg
Chris King
Marley Davis
Tate Moseley
Claire Ledbetter
Ailin Jiang
Mary Crigler

I was approached by my Department Chair, Greg Skaggs, and asked to serve as a video producer for a documentary about the Tutweiler Prison for Women. Specifically, the project was focused on their “Garden of Perseverance”, which is a team initiative between the prison and Troy University. The entire documentary was lengthy but here are the intro and outros.

The final documentary can be seen in Huo Bao Zhu Gallery at the International Arts Center on Troy University campus from December 9, 2021 – February 1, 2022, along with works of art created by the inmates.

In mid-June, 2021, I had some time to kill between client work, teaching classes online, and mowing the yard. I was jonesing to break out the camera but I needed to stay around the house because I truly did only have a few hours to kill. Just so happened, I received this email talking about this photo critique opportunity for anyone with photos of water drops. Well, I had never captured water drop or splash images before. But I’ll be dammed if that was going to prohibit me from trying.

I lit the whole scene with only the stove light (from behind obviously) and in the fruit shot, I used a warm bulb from a nearby lamp.

Here are the results.

Camera: Sigma SD Quattro H
Lens: Sigma 85MM ART
F: 1.4 – 5.6
Speed: 1/4000
Distance: 3 feet

Technically, it’s a bird. The State Bird of Alabama to be exact. Honestly, this project was about challenging myself to do something I could never really wrap my head around in my 20 years in education: writing a grant! I had no idea what that entailed and no clue what I would do with said grant money. My fiance’, Stacey, her kiddos and I, use to be active members of the 48 Hour Film Project in Jacksonville, Florida and we’ve been missing it. CUT TO: GRANT IDEA! Hey, if we can’t be in the 48 anymore, why don’t we make one?! And that’s essentially how the YellowHammer Film Fest was born.

Synopsis:
The YellowHammer Film Festival is a free and enriching interactive experience for high school and college students which will consist of workshops, a keynote speaker, student film exhibition, and an awards ceremony. Anyone can attend the day long festival but only students can compete in the exhibition!

Partners:
Alabama Humanities Alliance
Troy University
DTI Center

In my other, less creative and yet in some ways MORE creative, life as a professor often times I present ideas to various groups. I was excited to learn this concept I had to “Leverage The Creative Process in Tenure Seeking” was accepted as a presentation at TROY University’s College of Education Research Conferece.

Proposed Title
Understanding How To Leverage The Universal Creative Process In To Your Classroom, Service and Research Efforts

Abstract
This session will be an integrated learning experience where members of the audience will provide narrative from their own experiences that I will then leverage to show them how to consider the universal creative process when approaching education as a whole. This widely accepted universal creative process involves critical thinking and problem-solving skills. From songwriters to television producers, creative individuals generally go through five steps to bring their ideas to fruition—preparation, incubation, illumination, evaluation, and verification. More often than not, many educators are already taking part in these steps and simply need a little guidance on one or two of the steps along the way – this session will provide just that. Lastly, I will bookend the the entire showcase with real world examples they have probably all seen in practice and not even realized. Creativity can seem like a foreign language and this session will help debunk the myths that pose it as unattainable and realign your sights on adding the creative process to all of your academic endeavors.

Format
This format would be an alternative session format that included presentation and workshop components combined with live audience interaction and bookended with real world examples. Ideally 45 minutes would be a good fit for something of this nature.

Objectives, Goals, and Takeaways
By looking at real world and practical classroom examples, participants will walk away with a much clearer understanding of what it means to bring the creative process in to a seemingly uncreative discipline and how to leverage it in future practice.

Target Audience
I would say the demo for this session would be anyone looking to bring an element of creativity in to their educational pursuits.

From Fall 2020 to Present I have served as the Education Chair, and now ADDY Chair, for the Montgomery Chapter of the American Advertising Federation. In 2021, I created this elaborate video for all the winners. This reel streamed online where participants of the ceremony could log on to watch it – due to CoVid the ceremony was virtual in 2021. While I didn’t personally win an ADDY award for any of my work I feel honored for everyone to have enjoyed this video and look forward to being a part of the AAF Montgomery chapter moving forward.
Click image for video.

What if everything we know and think about typography is based on a flawed system? Take that clickbait of an intro and set it to low in your design crockpot brain. Businesses rebrand often. Because they’re not successful. Because something’s wrong. To simply refresh a visual. To roll out a new product, brand, or idea. To distance themselves from previous mistakes in order to say, “look, look how far away we are from those ideals that dragged us down in the mud.” This is not a new or novel idea. So, why are we basing the most fundamental teachings of children on a system that hasn’t been rebranded well, ever? Why do we accept a premise of communication, that frankly, maybe completely ineffective? Are letterforms, word shapes, aesthetic of communication properties – are they correct, now? Were they ever?

LTRFRMS examines a simpler way of communicating by narrowing down one square region of each current letter and allows us to read, think, and process information in a faster and more streamlined fashion, in theory.

Troy University’s graphic design students now have their award-winning art displayed at the IDEA Bank “to bring life and art to Downtown Troy.” The Ideation X gallery is a partnership between the Sorrell College of Business’ IDEA Bank and the Department of Art and Design’s DTI Center.

Chris Stagl, an Associate Professor of Graphic Design, Judson Edwards, Dean of the Sorrell College of Business, and Ed Noriega, Director of the Design Center and a Professor of Graphic Design, worked together to create the external gallery around the walls of the IDEA Bank.

The murals were designed in Stagl’s Fall 2020 typography class. Stagl later met with TROY First Lady Janice Hawkins, who liked the projects the students created. “She then gave me the thumbs up to move forward with getting them installed on the outside of the IDEA Bank’s walls,” Stagl, the creative director and designer behind the gallery, said.

Stagl created the identity of the outdoor gallery and worked alongside the students to get the designs created in the proper format and size to be displayed at the bank.

In this new role at TROY University I am, happily, tasked with wearing many hats. One of those is being the Director of the IC3. Primarily, and notwithstanding covid limitations, my role as the director focuses on building relationships overseas to further expand TROY’s International reputation and to deliver high-quality design education to those who otherwise may not have the opportunity to experience this incredible field. Currently, I have nearly a dozen International students who I mentor on a semester basis. In order to give the position and office a fresh feel, I redesigned the identity of the program focusing on TROY colors and negative space.

Troy University students won 28 awards at the American Advertising Federation (ADDY) student competition this year.

In December 2021, TROY’s graphic design professors reviewed the “best of the best” of student work from the previous year. TROY is affiliated with the ADDY chapters in Dothan and Montgomery, and the department’s professors entered the students in competitions in both chapters.

“This year, we, the art and design faculty, were ecstatic to have over 150 entries come in from students to be considered for the competition in a multitude of media including illustration, photography, web design, graphic design, video and motion graphics,” said Chris Stagl, Associate Professor of Design.

The majority of submitted works were projects students created in TROY’s classrooms.

Full Story Here

In the Fall of 2020, my Paper & Screen students were tasked with creating infographics for Troy Elementary’s new nature walking path. After many visits to the future site, about 30 acres of dense woods, they were tired of the spiders and wanted to see more deer and rabbit. I just wanted to see them pull together some amazing graphics and illustrations for the kids. Serving as creative director while teaming up with an important group in the community was definitely a nice welcome to the area.

Featured Students:
Kris Ballard
Abigail Irwin
Hannah Hogan
Tori Carpenter

Partners:
TROY University Office of Civic Engagement

“What Remains”
Photography Series

Synopsis:
Photographs highlight the waste that humans leave behind for nature to deal with.

Camera: Sigma SD Quattro H
Lens: Sigma 85MM ART
F: 1.4
Speed: 1/4000

From 2016 – 2018, while working as a Design Professor at Chowan University, I documented the beautiful landscapes in Eastern North Carolina, AKA God’s Country. The images are some of the highlights from those days.

Camera: Sigma SD Quattro H
Lens: Sigma 14MM ART
F: 1.8
Speed: 1/4000

Honored to serve on the Editorial Board as a Design Editor for this amazing publication.

While I was teaching at Chowan University, an HSBCU, in Eastern North Carolina, serving on college and community boards was a part of the role I truly enjoyed. Being able to help Brown Lady curate an art and literature magazine is an experience I will not soon forget, truly inspirational.

Honored to be asked to moderate this event for AIGA Charlotte.

The world changes when we change our perspective.

Join us for a casual evening of conversation at Free Range Brewing as we host a diverse panel of designers, thinkers, and creators from the Charlotte community.

With open minds and hearts we’ll be sharing stories of diversity in design and discussing the value of inclusion in the workplace, what it’s like working with members of different backgrounds, and how everyone can contribute to a broader community perspective.

AIGA Charlotte is committed to creating an inclusive environment where diverse voices are active in all aspects of our organization. We aim to inspire a culture of inclusion in which all individuals feel respected and are treated fairly, and different viewpoints, opinions, thoughts, and ideas are encouraged and embraced.

“Research has shown that diverse groups are more effective at problem solving than homogeneous groups, and policies that promote diversity and inclusion will enhance our ability to draw from the broadest possible pool of talent, solve our toughest challenges, maximize employee engagement and innovation, and lead by example by setting a high standard for providing access to opportunity to all segments of our society.”
President Barack Obama | October 5, 2016

One of the proudest moments of my professional career is when I was asked to consult on the new identity for Chowan University in Murfreesboro, North Carolina. After the first meeting, somehow, I had talked myself into taking over the creative direction and design of the project.

Chowan University Statement:
Chowan University announced a new branding strategy this week, marking the most significant change to its visual identity in more than a decade.

Designed by Chris Stagl, Associate Professor of Graphic Design, the official launch of the new logo is scheduled for January 1, 2018.

The new logo honors Chowan’s Christian heritage while incorporating everyone’s favorite campus icon, McDowell Columns Hall.

With the new logo, the seal will be reserved for more exclusive instances like diplomas, official documents, and formal programs.

Over the past 2 decades, I have had the distinct privilege to serve as a creative director for a number of local, regional, and national businesses. Here is a sampling of some of the logos I truly enjoyed being a part of.

The featured logo here is French Fry Heaven. At its peak, this potato-focused fast-food franchise topped nearly two dozen locations around the country.

A collection of motion and video projects I have served in creative capacities within the past 20 years.

Client: Taco Lu
For: Web(.)com
Medium: Promo Video
Credits: Chris Stagl, Editor, Art Director

Client: Daily’s
Medium: Commercial
Credits: Chris Stagl, Director, Editor | Stacey Ahmed, Producer | Seth Bass, Cinematographer

Client: SpaceJunk
For: Web(.)com
Medium: Promo Video
Credits: Chris Stagl, Editor, Art Director

Client: Dustin Monk (band)
Medium: Music Video
Credits: Chris Stagl, Director | Stacey Ahmed, Producer | Will Napier, Cinematographer, Writer

Client: Myers Dental For: Web(.)com
Medium: Promo Video
Credits: Chris Stagl, Editor, Art Director, Cinematographer

Client: NBAJAX
Medium: Promo Video
Credits: Chris Stagl, Motion Graphics Artist, Art Director

Client: Zoo Lights | Medium: Commercial
Credits: Chris Stagl, Director | Stacey Ahmed, Producer | Jesse Westfall, Cinematographer | Seth Bass, Cinematographer

Client: Winter Wave (band)
Medium: Music Video
Credits: Chris Stagl, Director, Editor| Brian Oakley, Cinematographer

Client: Web(.)com
Secondary Client: Guard Encryption
Medium: Guard Encryption Product Video
Credits: Chris Stagl, Motion Graphics Artist, Art Director

Client: Web(.)com
Secondary Client: One Shopping Cart
Medium: One Shopping Cart Product Video
Credits: Chris Stagl, Motion Graphics Artist, Art Director

Client: Starship
Medium: Lyric Video
Credits: Chris Stagl, Motion Graphics Artis

Client: Alabama w/Luke Bryan
Medium: Promo Video
Credits: Chris Stagl, Editor, Art Director

I began in higher education in 1999. It’s been an incredible journey. I’ve had the privilege of serving in many roles, ie. Professor, Chair, Dean in FL, CA, CO, NC, TN, and AL. Currently, I’m serving as an Associate Professor in Design at TROY University.

Any student who has ever taken a course with me will tell you that I love saying, “don’t let these walls, these teachers, these classes, define your education – you have to be in the world and experience design for yourself – first hand.” Hopefully, if students remember anything from my courses it is that one thing.

For Troy, I am teaching: Typography, Digital Tools, User Interface Design, User Experience Design, Thesis, Portfolio, Business of Art & Design, Concept & Process, Special Topics, Travel Study, Internship, Digital Tools, and Motion Graphics.Here is a sampling of some of my student work that has stood the test of time. The featured student work is a typography mural by Dang Long at TROY’s Idea Bank.

From time to time, I tinker with artistic storytelling through image-making. Here now is a variety of digital art experiments from the past 20 years.

Featured Image:
Pieces of Me

Medium:
Digital Collage

This four-part black and white photo series defined a long weekend in the city visiting an old UNF design student, Travis, during a trip to upstate for a family wedding in 2006. These were shot on my very first digital camera and each image is under 1mb. I like to keep these around and show them to my students to remind them that you don’t need the best, cutting-edge, technology to make cool images.
From left to right:
Image 1: Dinner with Travis
Image 2: No Sleep Till
Image 3: Pier 57
Image 4: Don’t Breathe