The Visual Arts Student Exhibition is scheduled to open on Thursday, March 13. The opening reception will take place at the Contemporary Art Gallery. The reception runs in the evening from 5-7 p.m.
The Visual Arts Student Exhibition gives the art department faculty a chance to show off the best of their students’ artwork, and to give those artworks the chance to be critically evaluated by a team of judges.
“This show is part of the Visual Arts, NASAD (National Association of Schools of Art and Design) accreditation review,” said Dale Newkirk, director of the Contemporary Art Gallery and an associate professor of sculpture. “The department comes up every five years for reaccreditation. Part of the process involves a team coming to our school and reviewing the department. This review includes an overview of student artwork.”
The overview of student artwork to be put on display is wide-ranging.  It will encompass many styles, mediums and levels of artistic experience. The students whose work is being chosen as part of the exhibition range from freshmen to recent alumni.
The art department faculty members are the ones who have selected which student’s artwork will be put up for analysis by the judges.
“Faculty have been collecting artwork from students in their courses over the past several semesters,” said Newkirk. “This work has been turned into the gallery for the exhibition.”
Newkirk explained that not every student will be aware that they have been selected as part of the exhibition. In fact, no one will know who has been selected until the exhibit opens.
 “Many students will not know if they are in the show or not until they come to the exhibition. Some of the students will have graduated,” said Newkirk.
The number of students artwork to be exhibited and judged in the showcase this year ranges from 400 to 500 pieces. This large quantity of artwork means the Contemporary Art Gallery building alone will not be enough to house everything to be judged and displayed. As a result, the exhibit will continue to stretch on throughout the other visual arts buildings, including Clark Hall.
The exhibition will remain on display at the Contemporary Art Gallery and other visual arts buildings until April 10. Until then, students are free to enjoy the creations of their fellow classmates.