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Come learn, network and build your brand in a supportive environment tailored to your needs.

Student Events

Brand Hack

At Brand Hack, professional art directors lead teams of 3-4 students to rebrand a local non-profit organization in just 3 hours! Students sign up for the event as individuals and are assigned to their team based on their year and major. On game day, each team is briefed by the client then let go to research, sketch, render and develop a pitch. Teams then present their concepts to the client and they choose their favorite idea to move forward with.

Portfolio Seminar

Creating a portfolio you can be proud of is just as hard as creating the work that’s in it. What work will resonate, how many pieces should be included and what medium you should present that work in are tough questions to answer on your own.

At our annual Portfolio Seminar, local Art Directors will be answering these questions and more to get you prepared for entering the creative job market.

Don Nichols Scholarship

Sponsored by AAF Buffalo, the Don Nichols Scholarship Competition is a student communication contest that honors the memory of Don Nichols.

Don Nichols began teaching at the Albright Art School. He founded its Graphic Design Program in 1950 and brought it to the University at Buffalo where, until his death on July 7, 1987, he served as the program’s head and an extraordinarily dedicated teacher. He educated hundreds of graphic designers, a number of whom attained national prominence. Nichols received the Osborn Award for Creative Excellence from the Art Directors/Communicators of Buffalo and the Chancellor’s Award for Teaching from UB in 1982.

See this year’s details below!

Portfolio Review

Put your best pieces on display for some of the brightest pros in Western New York and get invaluable feedback to take your work to the next level.

Our Portfolio Review takes place each year on a Saturday in April. Scholarships are available to the top three portfolios selected by the Professionals that day. This is also where the Don Nichols Scholarship winner is announced!

Students

If you’re a graphic design, communications, marketing or business student in Western New York, AAF Buffalo is an invaluable resource on your journey to landing that first job. Our student events like the Portfolio Review, Don Nichols Scholarship Competition, and the American Advertising Awards give you the chance to network and get real world advice from respected pros in the area. Oh, and did we mention our numerous scholarship opportunities?
 

2025 Don Nichols Scholarship Competition Theme

Back to Life

Innovation tops innovation, new trends take over, and environments continue to change.Pick something that no longer exists in the world, is fading from society or isn’t manufactured today. This can be taken literally – like dinosaurs, floppy disks, George Washington and Blockbuster movie stores. Or it can be taken figuratively – like skinny jeans, originality, Facebook and clean air. Bring your person, place or thing back to life through a medium of your choice – design, photography, spoken word, poetry and video to name just a few. Don’t be afraid to be bold or to be different. That never goes extinct.

Feeling Inspired?

Submit your interpretation of this year’s theme to president@aafbuffalo.comfor a chance to win up to $900! All entries are due by Thursday, April 3. Winners will be announced at the annual Student Portfolio Review on April 13.

See You Next Year!

The Don Nichols Scholarship Competition is annual scholarship competition held by AAF Buffalo. Look for our 2026 theme next year!