Junior Josephine Rutt's Inclusive Vision Wins SPARK Design Contest

Watkins College of Art student makes mark across campus through design, research

Josephine Rutt did not come to Belmont planning to be a designer. The Minneapolis native enrolled as a commercial voice major, drawn to Nashville by Belmont's reputation in music. But a vocal injury her freshman year changed the course of her college career — and, she says, may have pointed her toward where she was always meant to be. 

"After that vocal injury, I realized there are things that are better suited for me,” Rutt said. “Things I would still love and excel in." 

Now a junior in Watkins College of Art's design communications program, Rutt has found her stride. In the past year alone, she was selected as the winner of the SPARK Symposium T-shirt design contest, won a Silver ADDY Award and is presenting original research at this year's symposium as a Global Honors student — a run of achievements that spans design, advertising and academia. 

A Design Created for Everyone 

Rutt's mindset of exploration and adaptability shows up clearly in her design work. 

Belmont’s SPARK Symposium — dedicated to Scholarship, Performance, Art, Research and Knowledge — draws participants from across disciplines, from science and math to music and design to present research in their field of interest.  

Students were invited to submit original designs for the symposium's official t-shirt this year. When Rutt saw the contest advertised, she entered with the intention to create something every Belmont student could see themselves in. 

“I wanted the design to be fully inclusive of everything Belmont students have to offer,” Rutt said. "Whether that be in the arts, music, medical fields or science, I wanted a student to see something on the shirt and be able to say, 'Oh, that's what I do.'" 

The contest was not Rutt's first instinct as a designer but a deliberate choice to push herself. She traces her competitive drive to an early sophomore-year project that didn't go as planned — an experience she chose to learn from rather than dwell on. 

"I want to take every opportunity I can get to practice being a designer," Rutt shared. 

The SPARK win suggests that the approach is working. 

Global Honors Opportunities 

Rutt's connection to SPARK runs deeper than her t-shirt design. She will also present original research at this year's symposium, April 22, as part of her Global Honors coursework. Working alongside three fellow junior honors students, she has spent the academic year investigating how sexual education across different parts of Tennessee affects women's access to sexual health care resources. 

"A lot of women are left to figure this stuff out on their own," Rutt said. "We’re seeing that access to sexual education directly shapes whether women feel equipped to make informed decisions about their own health." 

The research draws on both survey data and qualitative interviews with participants from across the state.  

The Global Honors program has shaped Rutt's education in other ways, too. As part of the program, she spent a semester studying abroad at the American College of Greece in Athens — an experience that brought her art history coursework to life in ways a classroom couldn't replicate. 

“It was really surreal to learn about these works in class and then actually see them in person,” Rutt said. “Being able to connect what I was studying to real places and real art made everything feel so much more tangible and inspiring.” 

Silver at the ADDYs 

The ADDY Awards are presented annually by the American Advertising Federation and widely considered the advertising industry's highest creative honor, recognizing outstanding student and professional work across print, digital and broadcast media. With more than 25,000 entries each year, earning an ADDY is no small feat.  

For a design systems course — Rutt’s first upper-level design class — she developed four packaging designs for a fictional brand called Farmstead Select, a specialty dairy line featuring products like sheep's milk yogurt and goat milk. Her professor, Doug Regen, submitted the work on her behalf. Rutt wasn’t confident much would come from it.  

"It was my first time designing something like that,'" Rutt said. "My expectations weren’t very high." 

Nonetheless, she won a Silver ADDY. Rutt was among several Watkins College of Art students recognized at this year’s ADDY Awards, as Belmont students collectively earned multiple gold and silver honors across categories. 

What Comes Next 

Rutt is currently interviewing for internships at a range of organizations. Longer term, she envisions building a career that may touch the music industry and, eventually, a business of her own. 

For now, she credits Watkins' tight-knit community, and its faculty of working designers, with shaping how she thinks about the craft. 

"Belmont makes opportunities very accessible to students," she said. "And that's a really powerful thing."