News

June 23, 2022

Lewis Center for the Arts Wins a 2022 Circle of Excellence Award from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education

The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) announced the 2022 Circle of Excellence Award winners, including a Silver Award for a poster designed by the Lewis Center’s visual communications specialist Tracy Patterson.

woman's portrait with floral blue pattern on face

Design by Tracy Patterson

The poster, designed by Patterson for a Program in Theater production of The Chinese Lady, served as an effective marketing tool to draw a diverse, engaged audience to view the streamed theatrical performance online on two evenings in April 2021. Working closely with Princeton undergraduate student Jacy Duan ’21, who proposed the show as her senior thesis for the theater program, Patterson developed various poster concepts. The final, award-winning design reflects the heritage of the play’s subject in a clear, contemporary way and eschews stereotypes. CASE judges praised the poster as “visually striking” with a “beautiful color palette.”

Inspired by the true story of Afong Moy’s life, The Chinese Lady is a dark, poetic, yet whimsical portrait of America through the eyes of a young Chinese woman. The show follows Moy, the first Chinese woman in America, through the 19th century as she tours the country as a museum exhibit, presenting her culture through bound feet and tea-drinking for American citizens to enjoy. The Lewis Center co-produced the show along with Princeton student group East West Theater and filmed the production onstage in the Wallace Theater throughout the winter and early spring of 2021 under pandemic restrictions. Princeton alumnus Richard Peng ’20 directed, with Duan acting in the title role and Minjae Kim ’21 working as scenic and sound designer.

The Lewis Center’s Office of Communications has earned several CASE awards in past years for their work in print and digital mediums and video communications.

CASE’s Circle of Excellence Awards are the premier recognition program for educational advancement. These peer-selected and adjudicated awards honor colleges, universities, and schools worldwide whose talented staff have advanced their organizations with resourcefulness and ingenuity.

In 2022, CASE received more than 4,500 entries from 636 institutions in nearly 30 countries. Of those, volunteer judges chose 626 exemplary entries for bronze, silver, gold, or Grand Gold recognition. Winners were selected based on several factors, including overall quality, innovation, use of resources and the impact on the institution or its external and internal communities, such as alumni, parents, students, faculty, and staff.

About CASE

The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) is a global, not-for-profit membership association with a vision to advance education to transform lives and society.

CASE is the home for advancement professionals, inspiring, challenging, and equipping them to act effectively and with integrity to champion the success of their institutions. CASE defines the competencies and standards for the profession of advancement, leading, and championing their dissemination and application with more than 97,000 advancement professionals at 3,100 member institutions in 80 countries.

Broad and growing communities of professionals gather under the global CASE umbrella. Currently these include alumni relations, development services, communications, fundraising, government relations, and marketing. These professionals are at all stages of their career and may be working in universities, schools, colleges, cultural institutions, or other not-for-profits. CASE uses the intellectual capital and professional talents of an army of volunteers to advance its work, and membership includes many corporate partners in the education sector.

Headquartered in Washington D.C., CASE works across all continents from its regional offices in London, Singapore, and Mexico City to achieve a seamless experience for all stakeholders, particularly members, volunteers, and staff.

Press Contact

Steve Runk
Director of Communications
609-258-5262
srunk@princeton.edu