Students in departments such as printmaking, painting, ceramics, drawing, sculpting, photography and new animation and  media got to show off their work in the 2015 Spring Student exhibition.

The Contemporary Art Gallery held the annual spring exhibition opening last Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m. The exhibition is a showcase to display student’s artwork on a professional level. 

“This show is the juror student exhibition, which we do every year during the spring semester, and this is an opportunity for the students to have their work looked at by professional artists in the field. [The professional] who spend a lot of time going through the entries and picking out the ones that they feel merit being in the exhibition,” said Dale Newkirk, director of CAG. 

There were 350 entries in the show, and the jurors chose 159 pieces of artwork.  

“This is how students learn how the art world works in turns of exhibition and how to prepare their work for it to be mounted in a gallery [such as] frame it, what kind of pedestal does it need to get their work ready to be exhibited,” said Newkirk.

The art exhibit provides faculty with a chance to see the improvement of their students.

“It also gives the faculty an opportunity to have a good overview as to what the students are doing in the department. We might see in our own classes what they’re doing, but this gives us advance to evaluate what’s going on across the curriculum,” said Newkirk. 

Among the students featured, jurors awarded certificates for each department as well as the “Best of Show” award.

“This show is the platform for giving awards every year. We give out ‘Best of Show,’ but also we give an award in each area [such as] printmaking, painting, sculpture, photography, drawing, ceramics, new media and graphic design,” said Newkirk. “It’s also a way to encourage and compliment students who are doing a good job at least by the opinion of the jurors who picked the award winners.”

The winner of best show is Jennifer Reed for her multi-block wood cutout titled “Real.” 

“It’s overwhelming. I really didn’t expect to win this. I entered four pieces, and three of them got in. It’s just an amazing feeling,” said Reed, senior art education major. “It holds a really special place in my heart. Its two people I really care about; I was trying to tell the story of them and their love.” 

For more information call the CAG at 985-549-5080 or email Newkirk at [email protected].

“We do it every year and it is something important that we do but it’s always the expectations to show the best work that’s in the art department,” said Newkirk.

Whitney Serpas created the ceramics pieces “Mug 2” and “Mug 3,” in 2015 and
was chosen for the student exhibit, her piece also won
her a Best Ceramics Pottery award. 
The Lion's Roar / Tamara Alexander