MFA Graduate Research Project | Emily Gaugler, Mifflinburg Community AR Mural

Emily is a current art educator who is passionate about bringing design into the classroom. She completed an undergraduate degree in both Art Education and Graphic design and has been merging the two ever since. After finishing her Masters in Art Education from KU in 2019, pursuing her MFA in Communication Design seemed like the natural progression. Emily believes in being a lifelong learner and strives to become a better educator and designer. She enjoys merging traditional art styles with digital technology and design to create memorable experiences. When not teaching Emily can be found with her husband and two kids, often running to sporting events and recitals. She enjoys the outdoors and hopes to start a garden in all of her free time. Emily is thankful for her faith and tremendous family support that allowed her to pursue the MFA program.

My thesis was centered around the evolution of analog and digital design. Once looked at as competition there was a belief that digital design would replace print. However, print design has stood the test of time. Throughout my research, I found that when digital and analog design is merged it creates a powerful and memorable experience for consumers. My goal for my thesis project was to bring this combination of analog and digital design to my community. Through the painting of a mural, I brought color and design to downtown Mifflinburg. To enhance the experience of viewing the mural I generated an animation that can be viewed as augmented reality using the Hoverlay app and a digital device. The mural triggers the AR making the mural interactive; resulting in a memorable experience. Throughout the completion of my thesis, I worked with many organizations within my community. I had the support of Miff CPAP, a non-profit organization dedicated to breathing life back into Mifflinburg Parks, Rusty Rail Brewing Company, Cole’s Hardware of Mifflinburg, and many other small businesses. The augmented reality was made possible by Hoverlay’s ambassador program. I could not think of a better way to complete my thesis project and give back to the community.

Final Video Coming Soon..

The Process

More Work by Emily

Imposter Phenomenon:

Confronting the Monster In Your Head” is a lesson in a series targeting social emotional learning through art. Schools often lack in teaching these skills, but the art room is an ideal platform. Students can experiment, make mistakes, and explore personal interests. Completing this lesson helps students confront self-doubt, share their thoughts, and create meaningful art, all while learning about themselves and overcoming negative thoughts.

Gaugler_mailing box for imposter project

Be a Wildflower:

“Be a Wildflower Amongst the Roses,” is a visual animation of a columbine maturing from a seed to a flower amongst a field of roses. The book, screen print, and paper-making was inspired by the works of designer, Sarah Boris.

Unconventional Type:

Layering paper to create low profile sculptures while simultaneously defining type is a satisfying artform I fell in love with during my semester of unconventional type. The turkey love piece was the first time I used this process and later returned to it for my final project. I crafted a set of three typographic sculptures that visually illustrated the proportions of three espresso based drinks. The layered paper formed low profile coffee mugs and the negative space defined the parts of each drink.