From the Nominator

"Our Admissions Department tasked us with creating a specialty piece they could give to prospective students and families that showcased University of Portland (UP), Portland, and surrounding areas in a positive, exciting way. Portland, Oregon, received a lot of negative and exaggerated press over COVID-19, and there was concern it could affect enrollment—making parents wonder if Portland was a safe place for their child to live. Fortunately, there are a lot of wonderful things about our campus, city, state, and surrounding area that make this a wonderful and welcoming place to be, so we welcomed the chance to show off what makes our home so amazing. 

We worked with a history faculty member, Brad Franco, who has a talent for hand-drawn illustration. The illustration added a touch of whimsy and fun and liberated us from having to have a strictly accurate map. This creative piece reminds us of a "Where's Waldo?" book, and indeed we've even hidden our mascot, Wally, in the map for our own take on that. We've highlighted local Portland treasures—from small cafes to Powell's books—and showcased the proximity of Pacific Northwest wonders like the Columbia River Gorge, the beaches, Mt. Hood, etc. We wanted variety, and diversity—to see something new every time people looked at the piece and to be reminded of our strong community. It's delighted everyone who receives it, and a framed version hangs outside our President's Office."

From the Judges

Judges loved the concept that this map helps place the university within the wider community and emphasizes how the institution is an integral part of the city of Portland. Leveraging the talents of a faculty member to create engaging illustrations along with a custom font makes the overall design quite unique, playful, and cohesive. The intentional highlighting of diverse places around the community including minority-owned businesses is a really special and welcomed touch. The fact that people frame and display these and that they had to order more maps indicates that it was well-received by audiences and has many uses beyond a campus map that most often gets tossed out. This fun collectible piece is certainly memorable and rises above a typical campus map.