CMU students compete in the annual juried art exhibition
The 2018 Annual Juried Student Art Exhibition winners were announced Feb. 24 during an awards ceremony at the University Art Gallery.
More than 150 pieces of art were submitted by 58 Central Michigan University student artists, with 74 of those pieces chosen to be displayed and entered into the contest.
Millee Tibbs, a photographer and staff member from Wayne State University, was the juror for the event this year. There was a number of cash prizes given away at the event, including a Grand Award of $200, two Jurors Awards, and three Merit Awards. There were also seven Honorable Mention Awards, and three Purchase Awards given by the Art On Campus Committee, and one Purchase Award from the CMU Facilities Management Recycling Division.
CMU art student Emily Gunning is one of the 58 artists who competed in this years competition. She was also featured in the 2017 competition. She said any CMU student can participate -- no matter their major.
"This is a great show to be in because it is local. It's nice to compete where all your friends are," Gunning said. "It also helps to build your resume."
This year's Grand Award winner was Paige Blakeslee for her three print series titled "Feminine David". The two Jurors Awards were given to Jennifer Elliot, and Holly Henderson. Elliot also received an Honorable Mention Award. Lauren Blake, Barbara Engquist, and Kyunna Huston won Merit Awards at the gallery.
Blake spoke about her work in a short interview during the exhibition. One of the two pieces she had displayed, "Is Anyone Home?", was a large woodblock print. It featured a monster, partially hidden behind a tree, looking into a tree house. When asked about her inspiration for this, Blake mentioned that the monster featured was partially inspired by a doodle she had made in class, and that she often doodles in her notes. She thinks of the monster as "almost scary, but still cute".
The second piece Blake had at the gallery was a three panel series titled "Empty". These were prints of two different houses, with a character that was a cross between a deer, and girl, in between them. The houses were inspired by her explorations of old buildings in the Detroit area, and she said she "loves thinking about the history" of the buildings. Blake considers the character to be a reflection of herself.
There will be one last award given out in March -- the Public Choice Award -- where the public has been invited to vote for their favorite display. Voting is open until March 16 inside the gallery. The exhibit continues until March 24.
