Hartford Art School illustration major MacAyla (“Kai”) Muzzulin ’25 has designed this year’s Day of Giving stickers. Day of Giving is an annual event that celebrates UHart, as it brings together alumni, students, parents, and friends who raise funds for UHart students, scholarships, and programs. In recent years, students have been selected to design the stickers, as another creative connection to the school and the wider community. The stickers will be available on Day of Giving, held on April 2.
This year’s sticker designs incorporate watercolor, as this was Muzzulin’s medium of choice for the designs. The entire project was a “great experience” for Muzzulin, as she says that she enjoyed working with other departments within the University, including the Development of Alumni Affairs (DAA) and the Office of Marketing and Communication. “Creating these stickers and being able to work closely [with these departments] was a great experience, and the helpful critiques made these stickers incredibly successful” says Muzzulin.
Additionally, the project provided both a new perspective as well as an exploration for Muzzulin. “I enjoyed exploring new ways to manipulate watercoloring as I was working.” Her process involved making a large number of thumbnails, followed by sketch mockups. For each piece, she created three color studies, experimenting with different styles to provide a number of options to choose from. The messages that she wanted to convey through this project also center on community and school spirit. “Although I have only been part of the UHart community for two years as a transfer student, I have greatly appreciated the atmosphere and activities here.”
Muzzulin’s intention and goals in the sticker designs incorporate the strong sense of community that she herself has experienced, while connecting them back to the uniqueness of the Uhart. There are multiple sticker designs that Muzzulin created that infuse this community-centered theme. “For the Howie sticker, I based it around our beloved mascot…for the bridge piece, I aimed to illustrate the connection between seniors and first-years…for the fire pit sticker, I have heard many stories from classmates about their experiences around this special place.”
In addition to the Day of Giving sticker designs, Muzzulin has a number of projects in her impressive portfolio. She has participated in projects with Five Points Art Center and in the Torrington community, including Project Fish Tales, and murals at Action Wildlife Zoo in Goshen.
Now just a few months away from graduation, Muzzulin is reflective on her UHart experience. In addition to the strong sense of community, she states “what I enjoy most about UHart are the professors. As a transfer student, I have experienced various teaching styles, but here at UHart, the professors bring so much life to the classroom and make learning enjoyable.”