The American Institute of Graphic Arts San Francisco (AIGA) has awarded its prestigious AIGA Fellow Award to not one, not two, but three prominent designers affiliated with California College of the Arts. Patrick Coyne (Graphic Design 1983), Maria Giudice (Design faculty), and Karin Hibma (of the Hibma-Cronan clan) have been recognized by the AIGA SF as “mature designers who have made a significant contribution to raising the standards of excellence in practice and conduct within their local or regional design community as well as in their local AIGA chapter.”

With this fellowship, Coyne, Giudice, and Hibma become part of a long list of CCA designers to receive recognition from the AIGA. Out of 21 AIGA SF Fellows named, 13 have direct CCA ties! Among these is the esteemed and beloved Dugald Stermer, Distinguished Professor, who passed away in December who was honored as an AIGA SF Fellow a year ago. Graphic Design faculty member Jennifer Morla was awarded the esteemed AIGA medal in 2010, and past and present faculty members Michael Cronan, Leslie Becker, and Doug Akagi were honored as AIGA Fellows in 2009. Other CCA faculty and AIGA fellows include Michael Vanderbyl, Mark Fox, Steve Reoutt, and Thomas Ingalls.

The new fellows will be honored at a benefit event on March 16, 2012. The event recognizes the heritage of design at AIGA and benefits the AIGA SF Enrichment Scholarship Fund. Jennifer Morla is one of the honorary event chairs.

Patrick Coyne is the editor and designer of Communication Arts, the leading professional journal for designers, art directors, design firms, agencies, and corporate communications departments. Through its editorials, feature articles, and annual competitions, Communication Arts provides new ideas and information while promoting the highest professional standards for the field. In addition to determining the layout and editorial direction of the magazine, Coyne writes feature articles and the editor’s column.

Coyne has received numerous awards for his design and art direction (including a silver medal from the Society of Illustrators). He, along with his parents Richard and Jean Coyne, received the AIGA Medal in 2004.

After attending CCA, Coyne worked for Michael Mabry Design and SBG Partners (acquired by WPP group), then cofounded the multidisciplinary, San Francisco-based design firm Patrick Coyne Stephanie Steyer Design Office.

Maria Giudice is CEO and founder of Hot Studio Inc., a San Francisco-based design studio. There she leads creative teams in strategic thinking and problem solving across various media and industries. She has coauthored two best-selling books about web design: Web Design Essentials and Elements of Web Design. Giudice lectures about design and the power of collaboration at conferences worldwide.

Karin Hibma is a renowned designer and cofounder of design firm ::CRONAN:: with her husband Michael Cronan (a CCA alum, and a member of CCA’s Graphic Design faculty for more than 20 years). She is mother to two CCA alumni: Shawn HibmaCronan (Sculpture and Furniture 2009) and Nick Cronan (Industrial Design 2002).

Since they established their firm in 1980, Hibma and Cronan have worked with many of the Bay Area’s premier companies, arts organizations, and nonprofits. They both appeared on Fast Company magazine’s 2009 list of the 100 Most Creative People in Business. Hibma has won several design awards and is also founder and president of Cronan Artefact, a product development, manufacturing, and marketing company.