Mason Gross Students Design Limited-Edition Rutgers Merchandise

The pair created illustrations of iconic campus landmarks for the annual Rutgers Special Collection sale

When Sarah Virgilio created illustrations for Rutgers University sweatshirts, T-shirts and tote bags, she couldn't imagine what it would be like to spot them in the dining hall or in class.

That's a common occurrence now that the merchandise - which features designs by Virgilio and Elliot Dong, a fellow senior at Mason Gross School of the Arts - has become available online.

"It is so funny to walk across campus and see someone wearing something I spent so much time on," Virgilio, a resident of Wall, said.

Virgilio and Dong are the first students ever selected to create illustrations for an annual, limited-time offering of Rutgers merchandise known as the Special Collection. This year's collection features Rutgers landmarks, offering four designs focused on the Rutgers-New Brunswick campus, two highlighting sites at Rutgers-Newark and two celebrating the Rutgers-Camden campus.

Half the designs are by Virgilio, whose creations feature blue accents and geometric architectural images, and half are by Dong, whose flowing illustrations have red highlights..

After Oct. 1, when the Landmark Collection went on sale through the Specialty Stores section at ShopRHouse.com, the artists started getting attention.

"A post went out on Instagram about the merchandise and artists," Dong, a resident of Piscataway, said, "and a lot of people messaged me to ask: 'What the heck is this? Is this you?'"

The trademark licensing team oversees all branded merchandise at the university. Margo Wheeler, the university's trademark licensing manager, designed last year's Pride-themed special collection, while previous designs were created by outside illustrators.

Hiring students to design the Landmark Collection gave the project an added dimension, she said.

"They're talented, young and enthusiastic, and it's exciting to give them real experience at the actual process of creating commercial images," Wheeler said. "Because it went so well, I hope we'll do it again."

Dong and Virgilio, both pursuing BFAs, were among students recommended by Mason Gross professors. After connecting with the two to explore their concepts for the project, the trademark licensing team decided to hire them both.

"They have two different styles, but I think they work well together," Wheeler said.

The student artists were asked to make vector art, including just a few colors so it would be easier apply the designs on merchandise, and after being given a reference deck of campus landmarks, they each created several iterations of their illustrations based on feedback from Wheeler and her team.

Although they were free to compare notes, the artists worked separately, only seeing each other's creations at the end of the process.

"I always love an art challenge where the artists have the same rules but interpret things in their own styles," Dong said. "It was definitely fun."

Bringing Experience to the Job

Assistant Professor Sue Huang recommended Dong, a design student, because "he produced innovative, conceptually driven projects in my class, and his portfolio shows remarkable range, with a wonderfully playful use of architectural illustration," she said. "Elliot has a natural command of typography and a strong design sensibility, and his designs elevate a sense of community and belonging."

The Special Collection might be the biggest project he's done for Rutgers, but it's not his first.

As an intern for the Rutgers Division of Student Affairs, Dong creates graphics that familiarize students with campus resources. He has also created merchandise designs for the Rutgers radio station, 90.3 FM The Core, where he serves as general manager, and he creates newspaper graphics as co-editor for The Daily Targum.

After graduation, Dong will be open to doing layout design for publications, creating marketing materials or combining music and design to serve as a graphic designer for touring musical artists.

Julie Langsam, interim undergraduate director and an associate professor at Mason Gross, recommended Virgilio because of her double concentration in drawing and design.

"Sarah is incredibly skilled in drawing, and I knew that this, combined with her experience as a designer, would yield excellent results," Langsam said. "Based on her range and sensitivity, I knew she would come up with illustrations of Rutgers that would be both accurate in depiction as well as fun, playful and uplifting."

Virgilio's designs have also been used at Rutgers before, but this is the first time she's reached such a large university-wide audience. As an intern for Brand Advancement supporting Rutgers University Athletics, Virgilio created an image in oil pastel, watercolor and colored pencil that appeared on season tickets to the school's women's basketball games, as well as a time-lapse visual that the team used on social media. She has also worked as a graphic design intern at MedPro Systems in Mount Arlington and as a freelancer creating logos, letterheads and commissioned paintings.

After graduation, Virgilio says she'll be happy with "any job where I can be creative and combine drawing and design."

Wheeler anticipates a robust response to the Landmark Collection as a result of the students' hard work and inventiveness.

"More than any previous theme for Special Collections, this one has something for everyone," she said. "We think these designs do a great job of creating the excitement and pride we want the merchandise to inspire."