Established in 2005 and produced annually by the Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI), the
Sprung Formal literary arts journal is a testament to the transformative power of student-driven projects. This iconic publication pairs exceptional student work with a professional eye, building bridges between the school’s liberal arts and graphic design departments along the way. The Domtar Paper Gallery features two stunning issues of
Sprung Formal, printed on Cougar®, that highlight the creativity and hard work of KCAI students.
This hands-on experience is exactly what Jordan Stempleman, associate professor of liberal arts at KCAI, believes best prepares students for the professional world. As a respected poet and editor, Stempleman encourages students to step out of their comfort zones, teaching them how to juggle design, editorial tasks, and tight deadlines—an approach that mirrors industry standards. "A lot of times, these things fizzle out in a few years," says Stempleman of startup lit mags. "Three to seven years is their usual lifespan." Yet
Sprung Formal has been going strong for nearly two decades. The secret to its longevity? We believe it’s the skills he’s instilling in his students.

The Art of Collaboration and Risk-Taking
The design process begins with the team handling various swatchbooks, feeling and comparing basis weights, finishes and textures. Due to the limited distribution of the book, the class elects to print
Sprung Formal digitally on an HP Indigo. Fortunately, their choice of
Cougar® Digital allows them to still achieve the detailed, offset-like quality they want—an impressive feat for a student-run project working on a budget.
Their decision to embrace a modest size is a nod to old literary magazines, whose smaller statures were often due to their smaller readership.. The model that helped keep costs manageable for old publications lends itself well to the accessibility and engagement that
Sprung Formal wants to encourage. It’s also conducive to helping the class accomplish everything they need to before
Sprung Formal goes to press, as there’s always work to do to move the publication along to production. "Every week, there's something," Stempleman divulged. "It could be soliciting writers. It could be reviewing submissions. It could be proofing." But there's no time to waste. We've got eight weeks, and the deadline aspect is crucial for students to learn because they're going to face it in the real world. I always try to emphasize that we're doing everything we can in a timely manner to deliver this to the graphic design side to give them time to get everything laid out."
Each issue of
Sprung Formal is not only a literary journal but a piece of art, crafted through a semester-long effort of collaborative decision-making. Stempleman knows that each issue is only as strong as its submissions and his goal is to ensure they have enough viable submissions to produce a high-quality publication every time. Since he runs a reading series at the college, he has a head start. "I always solicit those readers a few months before spring term starts," Stempleman shared. "We want to hit the ground running with content." It's important that the editorial team—whose work must happen before the design team gets involved—has plenty of time to decide on which work they'll accept. As soon as the editorial team knows if a submission is a "yes", they send it to the graphic design team so they can begin creating mood boards. Each step of the book’s production mirrors the real-life processes that students will have to follow in their various career paths. Serious projects require collaboration and planning, and
Sprung Formal teaches team members how valuable those actions are.
A Story to Be Continued
We hope the Kansas City Art Institute’s development of
Sprung Formal can be an example of how, through the creation of a piece, students can be better prepared for their careers and an inspiration for other educators who strive to help their pupils learn real-world skills.
Dive into
Sprung Formal and the fascinating process that goes into its creation by downloading the latest issue of
Paper Matters magazine or explore the
Domtar Paper Gallery to view the two featured issues.