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Joe Stewart and John Shaffner honor importance of college years, impact on entertainment career

What do the television show "Friends," the Miss Universe pageant, and the Super Bowl all have in common? All have benefited from the artistic expertise of John Shaffner and Joe Stewart through their company, Production Design by Shaffner/Stewart. Now, with a bequest to the College of the Arts, students will benefit from the partners' generosity.

The bequest to support the University of Louisiana at Lafayette College of the Arts through endowed scholarship and student enhancement funds is just one way of giving back to the University and community which fostered a love for the arts and production design.

"John and I have always recognized the importance of our college years… We were blessed with fantastic professors and made friendships that have lasted into our professional life.  We hope that we can help make these experiences available to students today and into the future," says Stewart.

Stewart studied architecture and art history at the University of Southwestern Louisiana in the 1970s before completing his bachelor of fine arts in stage design at Carnegie Mellon University. The two met there as Shaffner was completing his master's in fine arts, and afterward they pursued careers in New York City.

Their success led to working in production design on hundreds of high-profile projects around the world in the following decades, including "Star Search," "The Big Bang Theory," the American Music Awards, "Rachael Ray," and the Republican National Convention.

Stewart received the College's SPARK Lifetime Achievement Award and honorary doctorate from UL Lafayette in 2012 as well as an honorary doctorate from Carnegie Mellon in 2019. Shaffner and Stewart have served as chairman and governor, respectively, of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and received an Art Directors' Guild Award. Perhaps the most well-known awards - their seven Emmys - demonstrate their skill is evident to audiences and colleagues alike.

Beyond their planned gift, both provide annual support to the College of Arts, and Stewart serves on the Dean's Council. He also volunteers his time, including collaborating with the College's faculty and students for performances such as "The Rabble" in 2012, "Metamorphoses" in 2016, and "Completeness" in 2019.