From the Nominator

Bennington College dared to reinvent what an alumni magazine could be in 2019, transforming Bennington from a publication that told stories to its readers to one that solicited stories from alumni by asking questions and publishing their selected and edited responses. This past summer we asked readers, "What didn’t exist before you made it?" In the winter we asked, "What did you once believe to be impossible that you now think is possible?" We have heard from alumni of nearly all ages and backgrounds. Their responses to the questions come as essays, as Q&As, as excerpts, as portraits and paintings, as videos and songs, as one liners and captioned photographs. The features are animated with a diversity of voices, points of view, and formats. Bookending the feature well are two departments: Headliners and Notes. Headliners is dedicated to highlighting members of the Bennington community covered by major media outlets. Class Notes and Faculty Notes were collapsed into one section—Notes—now organized by content rather than constituency. By doing this we were able to include staff news in Notes for the first time. This reorganization and inclusion has spurred cross-generational, cross-constituency conversation and connection. Fully reimagined, Bennington has inspired unprecedented reader engagement, alumni pride, and deeper resonance with the College. By developing a new model for the alumni magazine—one that demonstrates the power of inquiry, conversation, innovation, and improvisation—Bennington reflects the College’s foundational values.

From the Judges

Bennington has taken a bold approach to rethinking the alumni magazine, throwing out a perfectly pleasant publication in a risky endeavor to build an editorial strategy around what might, in less capable hands, feel like a gimmick. The editor's approach to the redesign was to ask fundamental questions about what the role of an alumni publication can be, and she has created a magazine that feels fresh and engaging, and also well-suited to the institution it represents. The new covers make excellent use of typography to draw attention to the topic, and set the stage for the unconventional content within. Writing is crisp, and the design and photography reflect a high standard.