Crossroads School for Arts and Sciences

Santa Monica, CA USA
Grades K-12, Coed Day

SAMPLE JUDGES' COMMENTS
I love that a student's art is used to illustrate this very powerful and important subject. The cover is striking. The artist's portrait engages the reader eye to eye and dares them to look away from the subject at hand.

There's so much to say about this cover for the Black Lives Matter issue. The title typography, woven through the hair in the portrait is a comment about entanglement and dissected thinking. The type shifts, which can suggest a shift in thinking. The portrait, with intentional shadows and engaging stare, sends a message of strength.

TEAM
Zoie Brogdon, Artist
The Warren Group: Studio Deluxe
Sara Ring, Director of Communications

Trinity School of Durham and Chapel Hill

Durham, NC USA
Grades TK-12, Coed Day

SAMPLE JUDGES' COMMENTS
Trinity School found a simple yet powerful way to express joy and gratitude in a terrible situation. The photo (whether posed or not) captures so much: Happy student returning to her school, happy teacher ready to make the day special and safe. The added bubbles say, “Trust us, we at Trinity know we need to keep your children safe and sound but this is still that same magical place you love… even in a pandemic."

The cover captures this unique, difficult moment in time. There are unmistakable signifiers of the COVID-19 pandemic—masks, hand sanitizer—yet the impression is one of overcoming and resilience. One can imagine parents seeing this cover would indeed feel gratitude for the care their children are receiving despite the challenges.

The bubbles in this cover shot are magical, especially since they're juxtaposed next to the clinical act of hand sanitizing. I especially like the bubble that's floating up near "2020," dangerously close to covering the date. Delightful.

TEAM
Katie Stokes, Designer

La Salle College High School

Wyndmoor, PA USA
Grades 9-12, Boys Day

SAMPLE JUDGES' COMMENTS
This cover is fun and dynamic. It reflects the diversity of the student body and their interests while also showing off their campus and resources. For an issue that includes the annual report, the cover does a nice job of connecting donor generosity with the lived student experience and the opportunities that gifts provide.

The illustration style is very friendly and fun. The criss-cross of actions is really engaging and keeps me looking for more details. It works!

This cover could have been a straightforward photo. Instead, La Salle College High School used a humorous, wrap-around cover illustration of campus that incorporates oversized objects like beakers and shoes into the landscape.

TEAM
Christopher Carabello, Director of Marketing, Communications, and Public Relations
Mario Zucca, Illustrator/Principal, Mario Zucca Illustration