Misty Thomas-Trout

Adjunct
College of Arts and Sciences: Visual Arts

Profile

After graduating from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh in 2002 with an Associates Degree of Specialized Technology of Graphic Design, Misty began working in several newspapers holding titles of Graphics Manager, Advertising Production Manager, Graphic Artist and Production Artist. In 2009, she returned to school and received her B.F.A. in Visual Communication Design from the University of Dayton. In the spring of 2012, Misty became an part-time faculty member at the University. Along with teaching, Misty also does freelance work ranging from brochures, posters, banners, ads and the first Department of Visual Arts journal.

Misty is part of Another Language Altogether which is a traveling poster exhibition featuring typographic posters to celebrate National Poetry Month. Her poster has been displayed at Dayton Metro Library, Stuarts Opera House Gallery 1879 in Nelsonville, Ohio, Athens County Public Library in Athens, Ohio and ArtsWest Gallery in Athens, Ohio. Her photographic series “Naked” exhibited at Flourish Studios in Chicago, Illinois as part of the group exhibition, Bodies of Work in 2010.

Misty plans on attending graduate school in the Fall of 2013 to pursue her M.F.A. in graphic design. She has a great desire to be a design educator but to also change the world through design.

Faculty Perspective

My career has greatly flourished since my start here at the University of Dayton in 2009. I began as a student and through passion and dedication I was afforded the opportunity to teach others what I live for. I have been in the graphic design field for over 12 years now, and am still yearning for more. The academic environment fuels my passion and creativity through a learning community of like-minds and many challenges.

I have begun graduate school applications in hopes to obtain my M.F.A. in Graphic Design beginning in the Fall of 2013. My undergraduate degree reassured my desire to practice this field that I love—however it left me wanting more. Graduate school will give me the opportunity to gain a better understanding of design while I continue to find how I can change the world through visual communication design. I want to research the evolution vs. de-evolution of language through the continual rise of technological advancements. I also want to research how this affects society, culture, our past and our future.

Degrees Held

B.F.A. Visual Communication Design

Selected Exhibitions

2010


Another Language Altogether. Exhibit of Visual Poetry. (Group Exhibition) 
Dayton Metro Library, Dayton, Ohio


Bodies of Work. (Group Exhibition) 
Flourish Studios, Chicago, Illinois



2011–2012


Another Language Altogether (Traveling Group Poster Exhibitions) 
Stuarts Opera House Gallery 1879, Nelsonville, Ohio

Athens County Public Library, Athens, Ohio

ArtsWest Gallery, Athens, Ohio

Research Interests

I am particularly interested in researching the evolution vs. de-evolution of language. I want to explore the fascination of texting and how society and cultures create their own text language. How does this affect communication? Is humanity progressing through technological advances or simply regressing because we are too lazy to spell out simple words.

My extreme interest and passion resides within the realm of typography—letters, characters, and the way they communicate. I want to preserve the history of language while including the advances of technology. I want to research how these two ideas can work together more successfully.

Then how does this affect those in society who are already behind due to poverty? Will we quit teaching children how to write? Is this where we are headed? How can design change this? How can my talents within design and educating myself and others through design make the change to preserve a language that took thousands of years to create?