Halloween is one of The Modern’s most cherished times of the year. Creativity infuses every inch of campus through pumpkin decorating, costumes, and events. Alums often reminisce about the Halloween traditions at The Modern.

This year, The Modern’s Design Club used their creativity to give back to the Dayton community and support Dayton Children’s Hospital.

Modern students designed original Halloween-inspired character illustrations and produced 150 craft activities for kids to enjoy during Halloween at Dayton Children’s. Modern instructors Paul Garcher, Matthew Flick, and Justin Morter connected with Karen Muller, Manager of Child Life at Dayton Children’s, and advised the students throughout the creative process.

Izzy Bunke, Carly Utter, Destiny Harvey, Emmalee Rixie, Amaya Schreiber, Riley Birkhold, Paige Phillips, and Audrey Albers created custom illustrations featured in the final artwork. Arianna Heyl, Susanna Nelson, Destina Dutcher, Jay Stapleton, Emma Goecke, Ian Wiant, and Christian Burlison contributed to the project.

Design Club was founded in 2022 and provides opportunities outside of classroom assignments to explore design further. Members plan to collaborate with local organizations, visit employers, and find additional ways to give back to the community.

“Supporting Dayton Children’s through this project showed students how their creativity can make a difference in kids’ lives,” stated Justin Morter, Creative Director and Instructor at The Modern. “The experience helped students understand the design process from generating original concepts to producing final art.”

Organizations interested in collaborating with The Modern’s Design Club can contact Rick Willits, Director of Career Services and Strategic Partnerships, at rick.willits@themodern.edu.