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Gibbs College invites all its students to showcase their creative flair in the 2025 Cocktail Napkin Sketch Contest. Presented by the Gibbs College Board of Visitors, this fun and inspiring competition challenges participants to transform the humble 5”x5” white cocktail napkin into a canvas for innovative design.
To enter, students need only a pen and a fresh idea. Napkins can be picked up from Leslie Spielman in Gould Hall, Room 180A (located in the Dean’s Suite). Submissions must be original sketches created specifically for this contest, and students can enter up to two designs. Categories include Architecture, Construction Science, Landscape Architecture, Regional and City Planning, Interior Design, and Environmental Design. To keep the focus on simplicity and skill, only black or blue ballpoint pens are allowed—no highlighters, colored pencils, or crayons.
Entries are due no later than February 7, 2025, and should be submitted to Leslie’s office along with the required registration form. Participants must include their name, email, and year in school on the back of their entries.
Example sketches.
This year’s competition boasts cash prizes for the top three designs, with $750 for first place, $500 for second, and $250 for third. A professional jury will evaluate the submissions, and winners will be revealed at the College of Architecture’s 13th Annual Charles W. Graham Travel Study Benefit Dinner on February 28, 2025.
The Cocktail Napkin Sketch Contest is a celebration of creativity, precision, and the unique ability to think on paper—even a small one. Whether you’re honing your craft as an architect, designer, or planner, this competition offers a chance to share your vision and gain recognition within the Gibbs College community.
For more details, email Meenakshi K. at meenakshik@hfgarchitecture.com.
The Gibbs Design in Action Awards (GDAA) program, led by Dr. Wanda Liebermann, has announced its 2026–2027 funded student projects. The initiative supports design and research work that addresses social, cultural, and economic issues in the built environment through collaboration with faculty and community partners.
The OU Institute for Quality Communities (IQC) 2024 collaboration with the Historic Threatt Filling Station has been recognized in the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City's newly released Byways Report: The Scenic Route to Rural Prosperity – a story-driven publication exploring how road trip culture and place-based tourism can fuel economic growth in rural communities.
The Gibbs College of Architecture is pleased to announce that Camille Germany, Chief of Staff, has been named the 2026 recipient of the university-wide Jennifer L. Wise Good Stewardship Award.
