Students take home awards during juried art show
Central Michigan students observe entries into the 2015 Annual Juried CMU Student Art Exhibition on Feb. 28 in the University Art Gallery.
After a semester of constructing a six-foot-five sculpture of welded metal, Michael Griswold’s work was recognized with the Grand Award of $200 in the 2015 Annual Juried Central Michigan University Student Art Exhibition.
The Coleman senior was visibly shocked when his sculpture named "Infinitron" took the grand prize. He said he was not expecting his sculpture, which depicted a metal human form to be accepted into the show.
“There is sort of a convoluted narrative behind it,” Griswold said. “It depicts a ‘springing to life’ as the creator is walking away from his creation.”
Students were given the chance to display their art in the Main and West Gallery in the University Art Gallery after completing an acceptance process juried by artist and professor from Albion College, Anne McGauley.
She said she reviewed 138 pieces by 63 student artists. Of these, 73 works by 48 artists were selected for the exhibition and awards were given to the top pieces.
Awards were announced at a reception Feb. 28 afternoon as students and their families filled the gallery.
“I was most appreciative of the inventiveness and diversity of their ideas and approaches, as well as their skill in execution,” McCauley said. “Some openly challenging, others quietly suggestive, this reflects well on (CMU's) program and suggests a creative community that is thriving.”
Sculpture, photography, clothing, painting, film and mixed media were some artistic approaches displayed.
The exhibition was comprised mostly of work from Central Michigan University art students, but was open to anyone on campus who wished to enter in the exhibit. Voting for the Public Choice Award will continue until March 21.
A structured form of a dress sat by the window of the gallery. As the sun shined through the colorful fibers, an array of pigments from the wax relief process was exposed. Monroe junior Kelsey Lancina used wax to dye the butterfly dress on display.
“I used wax in the dying process to create a resist effect,“ Lancina said. “When you hold it up to the light, it reveals colors that are trapped in the wax.”
Lancina earned an honorable mention for her other entry in the exhibit, a ceramic wall piece that depicted honeycombs from the perspective of a bee.
One piece rendered by Jackson senior Stephanie Husted was of two contrasting body types to show society’s take on women’s body image.
“There is pressure in our society to look a certain way,” Husted said. “You’re really just buying into that type of look.”
Chicago senior Amy DiNovo used inspiration from her Drawing in Florence study abroad class to create a monotype image of an Italian country road. She said she tried to capture the movement and feeling of Italy in her artwork.
“This is really cool for my art to be displayed like this,” DiNovo said. “I usually make art for myself as a therapy to take my mind off things, so this is a new step for me.”
