SWT’s Writers Collection and Wittliff Gallery garner Wilder Awards

SAN MARCOS, TEXAS — The Southwest Texas State University Southwestern Writers Collection and Wittliff Gallery of Southwestern & Mexican Photography have won three Mitchell A. Wilder Awards for Publication Design from the Texas Association of Museums (TAM).

This marks the second consecutive year that the collection and gallery have won three awards. The writers collection and gallery were recognized this year with a silver award for the Rocky Schenck catalog, which was developed for a Schenk photography exhibit in 1999 by curator of the writers collection and gallery Connie Todd, assistant Mary Levy and designer Dwain Kelly. The Ace Reid and the Cowpokes Cartoons, a book in the collections’ series with UT Press, designed by George Lenox of UT Press and edited for the writers collection by Todd, won a merit award. The No Traveler Remains Untouched CD-ROM also won a merit award. The writers collection created a website and CD ROM of the No Traveler exhibit, which was funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities and SWT as a traveling exhibition. Todd and assistant curator Steve Davis coordinated the project, which was designed by Donna Starnes and Michael Farris of SWT Media Services.

SWT tied for second place in the total number of awards given with the Dallas Museum of Art and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. The Mitchell A. Wilder Publication Design Awards are presented annually by the TAM to recognize achievement in graphic design and media production and to encourage quality in public presentations.

The 2000 Wilder Design competition drew 221 entries from museums of all sizes, regions and disciplines throughout the state of Texas. The submitted materials themselves ranged from posters, brochures, newsletters, books and invitations to web sites and videos.

The Southwestern Writers Collection and Wittliff Gallery are major archival and fine arts resources focusing on the literature, film, music and photography of the Southwest and Mexico. The collections are part of SWT’s Special Collections, housed on the top floor of the Albert B. Alkek Library. Hours are 8a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday (until 9 p.m. Tuesdays during long semesters), 1-5 p.m. Saturday and 2-6 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call 512-245-2313 or visit the writers collection and gallery website at: www.library.txstate.edu/swwc.

Schenk Lane: Photo from the Rock Schenk exhibit in the Fall of 1999.