Welcome

Dear Colleagues,

Jeffrey Ward, Dean, College of Fine ArtsThank you for engaging with Cross Connections 2024, an event celebrating contemporary designs that transcend borders, cultures, concepts, media, and disciplines. This groundbreaking initiative aims to revolutionize design research and promote internationalization among participating institutions worldwide.

As Dean of the College of Fine Arts from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, I am pleased to be one of the hosting partners and sponsors of the hosts of the Cross Connections 2024 International Exhibition and Competition of Visual Communication Design and Emerging Media Design. This exhibition promises a comprehensive overview of the latest trends in international visual communication and emerging media design. Attendees can anticipate being thoroughly impressed by the exceptional work presented, showcasing the talent of both design faculty and gifted student-designers. The selected works were exhibited at the UTRGV Visual Arts Complex Gallery, the Brownsville (TX) Museum of Fine Arts and the International Museum of Art & Science in McAllen, Texas.

Thank you again for your valuable contributions to the exhibition and competition.

Sincerely,

Jeffrey Ward, DMA
Dean, College of Fine Arts,
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

UTRGV College of Fine Arts

Overview

Cross Connections International, an influential design festival since 2009, returns in 2024 for its fourth edition. The Cross Connections 2024 event includes a juried exhibition, a design competition, and a webinar series on design thinking. It is curated by the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), the International Museum of Art and Science (IMAS), and the Brownsville Museum of Fine Art (BMFA).

The Cross Connections 2024 International Exhibition and Competition of Visual Communication Design & Emerging Media Design showcases talents from 20 international institutions. It features 100 print artworks and 74 multimedia pieces, with 10 exhibition awards and 14 honorable mentions in the global exhibition, and 25 awards and 27 honorable mentions in the design competition. The theme, “Unleash your creativity: explore your design beyond borders, cultures, concepts, mediums, and disciplines,” aims to inspire contemporary design trends. Experts evaluated the selected works, which will tour higher education institutions worldwide in spring and fall 2024.

Cross Connections 2024 Overview

Cross Connections 2024 Juried Design Exhibition

Design Exhibition at UTRGV
Date: March 18 – 21, 2024
Closing Reception: 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.,   March 21, Thursday
Exhibition Venue: UTRGV Visual Art Gallery
Announcement for the honorable mentions of juried exhibition and design competition and two Special Judging Awards of Design Competition: 6:30 p.m., March 21, Thursday.

Design Exhibition at BMFA
Date: April 9 – 27, 2024
Opening Ceremony: 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.,   April 9, Tuesday.
Exhibition Venue: Brownsville Museum of Fine Art
Award Announcement for Grand, Gold, Silver, and Bronze Awards for the design competition:
6:30 p.m., April 9, Tuesday.

Design Exhibition at IMAS
Date: June 1, 2024 – September 8, 2024
Opening Reception: 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.,   May 31, Friday.
Exhibition Venue: International Museum of Art & Science
Award Announcement for the Best of Show Awards and Special Judging Awards for the juried exhibition: 6:30 p.m., May 31, Friday.

Design Exhibition on the Global Stage
(Co-Host of Exhibition, Exhibition Venue and Exhibition Duration)
The Cross Connections International Exhibition is a collaborative event that will be gracefully hosted by participating institutions across various global venues, as outlined below. The sequence of exhibition venues follows an arranged chronological order based on the exhibition time.

Location Date
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (Milwaukee, WI, USA)
Exhibition Venue: UWM Arts Center Gallery
April 8 – 22, 2024
Truman State University (Kirksville, MO, USA)
Exhibition Venue: Truman State University – Art Gallery
August 26 – October 9, 2024
University of Minnesota (Twin Cities, MN, USA)
Exhibition Venue: The Goldstein Museum of Design
September 5 – 20, 2024
Ming Chuan University (Taoyuan, Taiwan)
Exhibition Venue: Atrium, Design Building, MCU Taoyuan Campus
October 15 – 25, 2024
Luxun Academy of Fine Arts (Dalian, China)
Exhibition Venue: Museum of Luxun Academy of Fine Arts
December 14 – 21, 2024
Central Academy of Fine Arts (Beijing, China)
Exhibition Venue: Museum of Central Academy of Fine Arts
December 14 – 21, 2024