Annual juried student art exhibit opens today, runs through March 24
Anne Gochenour said the juried student art exhibit gives young artists a chance to experience exhibiting.
The Central Michigan University Art Gallery director said this exhibit has been very popular in the past.
“There's a lot of student interest in the show,” she said. “It gives them experience exhibiting.”
The exhibit opens today and is free to the public. Awards will be announced at the artists' reception between 2 and 4 p.m. on Saturday. All works chosen will be displayed in the main gallery until March 24.
Two Michigan professionals from outside CMU, a fine art artist and a graphic design artist, will act as jurors for the exhibit. The jurors will decide which pieces get into the exhibit and which artists deserve prizes.
Gochenour said experiences like this are crucial for developing artists, because it's important to share art and communicate.
Mount Pleasant senior Meghan Borland won the people's choice award in last year's exhibit.
“It's a good experience to enter your work,” she said. “It's also good to have people see what you've been working on.”
There are other incentives for students to participate.
The top five students will be awarded cash prizes, and the first place grand award will come with $200. Two $100 juror awards and two $50 merit awards will be given to second, third, fourth and fifth place winners.
Last year's grand prize winner, Lauren Hild, is entering three pieces this year. Last year was Hild's first experience exhibiting her work.
“I didn't think I would place at all,” the Bad Axe senior said. “I was completely floored when they called my name.”
Hild said the atmosphere of the exhibit was friendly and enthusiastic rather than competitive, and it's worth it for students to enter everything they can.
“Whether you place or not, you'll still get good exposure for your work,” Hild said. “And maybe some feedback you wouldn't normally get.”
Borland agreed with Hild and said the worst that can happen is not getting accepted, which is part of the process.
The prize money from awards can be used for anything, but Borland and Hild used at least part of their winnings for art supplies.
"It's quite cyclical I guess," Borland said, causing him to laugh.
