The Contemporary Art Gallery held the opening reception of the annual juried student exhibition last Tuesday to showcase works submitted by students.

The submissions were selected by visual art juror Marcela Correa and graphic design juror Jeffrey Roedel.

The show is an important opportunity available for all Southeastern students, as it showcases their talent and unique artistic voices.

New media and animation major Hailey Waguespack spoke about how her interactive sculpture “Stim Shirt and Stim Hat” uses textures such as fuzz balls and suede fringe to simulate stims that neurodivergent people may use when feeling overwhelmed.

“This piece has lots of textures that autistic people, such as myself, can stim with… sometimes you just need to block everything out when it gets to be overwhelming,” stated Waguespack.

Every year, students, faculty and the community celebrate the student exhibition. Many students look forward to sharing their work, as it is not only a way to show the results of their studies but also a place to present personal projects as individual artists.

Giovanni Culotta, a technical theatre/theatre design and technology major, shared their thoughts on the exhibition and being an artist.

“This is probably my favorite student exhibition so far. There is so much variety in the pieces. I think now is a great time to be an artist because a lot of things suck, and artists are some of the only people who can really impact culture. Whether it’s painting, drawing, sculpture, etc, artists can really make a change,” stated Culotta.

Interim Head of the Visual Art and Design Department Jeffrey Mickey thanked the family members, gallery staff, faculty, and all those who supported the artists in the exhibition, as well as expressed the importance of the show.

“It is an exhibition of our students’ work. It shows how successful our students can be, the quality of the work we have, and how outstanding our department is through the eyes of our students and their ability to make this artwork,” he said.

This sentiment is reflected in the students’ work and in the voice of student Raynia Johnson as she expressed her thoughts on the exhibition.

“The students of Southeastern are full of talent, and I’m glad they get to be showcased,” Johnson stated.

The following students are the winners of the exhibition, who were awarded 50-dollar gift cards by Mo’s Art Supply & Framing:

Best in Show – Danika Pollard

Best in Drawing – Ace Acereto

Best in Painting – Jaione Critney

Best in 2D design – Katie Chenier

Best in 3D design – Cara Grant

Best in Sculpture – Madison Davis

Best in Photo – Maxon Stroud

Best in Graphic Design – Taylor Levy

Best in Printmaking – Ashton Williams

Best in Ceramics – Sprout Conyers

Best in New Media – Jordon Mackenzie

The exhibition will remain available for viewing until Saturday, April 5. Next month, senior projects will be featured in the spring 2025 senior exhibition, opening from Thursday, April 17–Saturday, May 17.