Humber’s Public Relations Graduate Certificate students take on real projects from real clients and follow them from research, to pitch to execution. They also face real challenges, like the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Humber Art Show has been around for more than 30 years, and in 2020, it was put on hold for the first time. The winning art submissions were announced, and the artists received their prizes, but it wasn’t the same.This year, the Modern ‘Mask’erade - themed show attracted more artists than ever. Students submitted 366 pieces in categories including Colour Photography, Monochromatic Photography, Painting and Drawing, 3D Art & Mixed Media and Digital Art. 

“I think what attracted so many submissions were our marketing initiatives on social media. We promoted it on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok and ran contests with prizes for participation,” said PR faculty member Nancy Marino Benn. 

The show provided a valuable experiential learning opportunity. 

The PR students’ client was Humber’s own Office of Student Success and Engagement. The office expressed that both the Media and Marketing teams excelled – local MP James Maloney even attended the virtual reception on April 23. 

Here are some of the Juror’s Picks: 

• Colour Photography: Madeline Wallace, ‘Raise Hell’ 

• Digital Art: Despoina Chaskari, ‘Japan’ 

• Monochromatic Photography: Emily Pot ‘MAGNIFEYED’ 

• Painting & Drawing: Ali Brown: ‘A Memory (or the lack thereof)’ 

To find out more about Humber’s PR Ontario Graduate Certificate, click here.