Hala Wittwer Swearingen
Hala began her art career by earning a BFA in Illustration at Brigham Young University. She illustrated and animated in-house for 4 years at Waterford Institute and then left to free lance full-time with Shannon Associates. She earned an MFA from the Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University and taught illustration at California State University Fullerton for 6 years. She moved on to join the Art & Design Department at Southern Utah University where she currently teaches a variety of illustration, drawing, and painting courses. She has several artistic processes and is always experimenting to incorporate new techniques. She creates her artwork with acrylic, oil, ink, colored pencils, and cut paper.
Awards & Honors
Society of Illustrators L.A. Illustration West 59, 2020
Distinguished Educator, Southern Utah University, 2020
Hiii Illustration 2019
iJungle 2019
Art Renewal Center 2019 International Salon Finalist
Society of Illustrators L.A. Illustration West 56, 2018
Hiii Illustration “Best of the Best” & “Jury Award” 2017
iJungle 2017
Hiii Illustration “Best of the Best” 2015
Creative Quarterly 100 Best Annual, 2014
Communication Arts 54 “Award of Excellence” 2013
Society of Illustrators New York 55, 2013
Society of Illustrators L.A. Illustration West 51, 2013, Bronze Medal
Creative Quarterly 33 “Award of Excellence” 2013
Spectrum, The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art 19, 2012
Art Renewal Center 2012 International Salon Finalist
Society of Illustrators New York 48, 2006
Society of Illustrators New York 46, 2004
Spectrum, The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art 11, 2004
Spectrum, The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art 10, 2003
Clients
Bath and Body Works
Friend Magazine
Gamewright Inc.
HarperCollins Publishers
Hyperion Books for Children
Kimberly-Clark Corporation
National Museum of Wildlife Art
Pan Macmillan, London
Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers
Random House Children’s Books
Scholastic Inc.
Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing
Somerset House Publishing
Tor Books
Utah Life Magazine
Vertex42.com
Education
Master of Fine Arts in Visual Arts
Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University; Boston, MA 2009
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration
Brigham Young University; Provo, UT 1996
Exhibitions
2021
SUU Faculty Exhibition 2021
Southern Utah Museum of Art, Cedar City, Utah
2019
Unleashed
Society of Illustrators Members Show, New York City
Logan Fine Art Annual Salon
Logan Fine Art Gallery, Logan, Utah
SUU Faculty Exhibition 2019
Southern Utah Museum of Art, Cedar City, Utah
2018
Food Fight
Society of Illustrators Members Show, New York City
Illustration West 56 Society of Illustrators Los Angeles Annual Competition
Gallery Nucleus, Alhambra, California
SUU Faculty Exhibition 2018
Southern Utah Museum of Art, Cedar City, Utah
2017
SUU Faculty Exhibition 2017
Southern Utah Museum of Art, Cedar City, Utah
2016
Ideas on Paper
Beijing Design Week, Beijing, China; Invitational
Drawn to the Music
Society of Illustrators Members Show, New York City
Illustrators Utah
Bountiful Davis Art Center, Bountiful, Utah
Juried by Will Terry
SUU Faculty Exhibition 2016
Braithwaite Gallery, Cedar City, Utah
2015
11th Annual Small Works Show
440 Gallery, Brooklyn, New York
Juried by Amy Williams
CSUF Faculty Exhibition 2015
Begovich Gallery, Fullerton, California
2013
Illustration West 51 Society of Illustrators Los Angeles Annual Competition
Gallery Nucleus, Alhambra, California
Juried by Rick Anwyl, Scott Bakal, Craig Elliott, Lisa French, Robin Richesson, and Whitney Sherman
55th Annual Society of Illustrators Exhibition
Society of Illustrators Museum of American Illustration, New York City
Juried by Juliette Borda, Harry Campbell, Ted Wright, Will Hooks, Alexandra Zsigmond, Matthew Richmond, Andy Rash, Julia Rothman, Gary Taxalli
Silverspot: A Graphic Novel
National Museum of Wildlife Art, Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Curated by Bronwyn Minton; Invitational
2012
From Mice to Monsters: Illustrations for Children
440 Gallery, Brooklyn, New York
Juried by Buket Erdogan
Children’s Book Art Show
Modest Fly Art Gallery, Tujunga, California
Juried by Seaton Brown
Richmond Illustrators Club 5th Juried Show
Ghostprint Gallery, Richmond, Virginia
Juried by Sterling Hundley, Alice Cho, Noah Scalin, George Pratt, and Martin Gee
Steampunk: The Beginning
CSUF Begovich Gallery, Fullerton, California
Curated by Cliff Cramp and Mike McGee; Invitational
No Regrets: 2012 CSUF Faculty Show
California State University Fullerton
Begovich Gallery, Fullerton, California
2011
Fukui Sister City Exhibit
Muckenthaler Cultural Center, Fullerton, California
Curated by Matthew Leslie; Invitational
Richmond Illustrators Club 4th Juried Show
Ghostprint Gallery, Richmond, Virginia
Juried by Mark Summers, Amy Crehore, Phyllis Saroff and Bill Koeb
2010
BYU Illustration Alumni Show: Celebrating 30 Years of Excellence
Brigham Young University Harris Fine Art Center, Provo, Utah
Utah Illustrators
Bountiful Davis Art Center, Bountiful, Utah
Juried by Don Weller
2009
F+: CSUF Visual Arts Faculty Exhibition
California State University Fullerton
Grand Central Art Center, Santa Ana, California
MFA in Visual Arts Graduate Exhibition
Art Institute of Boston Main Gallery, Boston, Massachusetts
2008
Unbound: Original Picture Book Art From Utah Illustrators
Springville Museum of Art, Springville, Utah
Curated by Margy Layton; Invitational
2007
BYU-Idaho Faculty Show
Spori Gallery, Brigham Young University-Idaho, Rexburg, Idaho
2006
48th Annual Society of Illustrators Exhibition
Society of Illustrators Museum of American Illustration, New York City
Juried by Diane Dillon, Patrick Arrasmith, David Christiana, Daniel Dos Santos, Gary Kelley, Tim O’Brien, Elizabeth Parisi, Rob Shepperson, and Whitney Sherman
BYU-Idaho Faculty Show
Spori Gallery, Brigham Young University-Idaho, Rexburg, Idaho
2005
Spectrum: The Exhibition
Society of Illustrators Museum of American Illustration, New York City
Curated by Irene Gallo, Gregory Manchess, Cathy Fenner and Arnie Fenner
Invitational
2004
46th Annual Society of Illustrators Exhibition
Society of Illustrators Museum of American Illustration, New York City
Juried by Vincent Di Fate, Marti Golon, John Mattos, Bill Mayer, Wendell Minor, Robert Andrew Parker, Paolo Pepe, and Anthony Russo
Imagination & Illustration
Terra Nova Gallery, Provo, Utah
Curated by David Hawkinson; Invitational
19th Annual Religious and Spiritual Art of Utah
Springville Museum of Art, Springville, Utah
Curated by Vern Swanson
2002
78th Annual Spring Salon
Springville Museum of Art, Springville, Utah
Juried by Jody Klotz-Vletas, Donna Poulton, and Vern Swanson
An Olympiad of Artists
Repartee Gallery, Salt Lake City, Utah
Curated by Sharon Swindle; Invitational
2001
77th Annual Spring Salon
Springville Museum of Art, Springville, Utah
Juried by Peter Adams, Elaine Adams, and Vern Swanson
1999
75th Annual Spring Salon
Springville Museum of Art, Springville, Utah
Juried by Ric Collier Nancy Harrison, and Vern Swanson
Curatorial Projects
2020
4th Annual Day of the Dead Exhibition
Southern Utah University; Southern Utah Museum of Art
2019
3rd Annual Day of the Dead Exhibition
Southern Utah University; Southern Utah Museum of Art
2018
2nd Annual Day of the Dead Exhibition
Southern Utah University; Southern Utah Museum of Art
Evidence: SUU Department of Art & Design Curriculum Exhibition
Southern Utah University; Southern Utah Museum of Art
February 27 – March 15, 2018
2017
1st Annual Day of the Dead Exhibition
Southern Utah University; Gerald Sherratt Library
November 1 – 22, 2017
2015
Artists Speak Out: Sustainability and Social Justice
Sustainability Symposium; California State University Fullerton
Titan Student Union Pavilions AB
April 16, 2015
3rd Annual CSUF Illustration Competition
California State University Fullerton; Titan Student Union Center Gallery
March 2 – March 28, 2015
2014
Sustainability Symposium Illustration Exhbition
California State University Fullerton; Titan Student Union Pavilions AB
April 17, 2014
2nd Annual CSUF Illustration Competition
California State University Fullerton; Titan Student Union Center Gallery
March 7 – March 28, 2014
2013
Illustration: The Creative Process
Pollak Library Atrium West Gallery, California State University Fullerton
January 28 – March 4, 2013
1st Annual CSUF Illustration Competition
California State University Fullerton West Gallery
April 8 – April 18, 2013
2012
363A Illustration Exhibition
Titan Student Union Center Gallery, California State University Fullerton
May 7 – June 1, 2012