Craig Martin, a sophomore from Harare, Zimbabwe, was awarded Grand Prize in Ouachita Baptist University’s Student Juried Art Exhibit. The show features 24 entries from 14 participants and is on display open to the public in Hammons Gallery in Mabee Fine Arts Center through March 25. The winners of the competition will be recognized at a formal reception in Hammons Gallery on Saturday, March 2, at 6 p.m.
Martin, a graphic design major, earned the Grand Prize for his scratchboard pieces, “Shumba.” He also submitted “Marooned,” a collage piece that received an Honorable Mention, and “Twiza,” a graphite pencil drawing.
Second and third places were awarded to pieces by Adam Oakes, a junior graphic design and computer science major from Campbell, Texas. “A Dream’s Memory,” an oil painting on paper, earned second place, and “Dust of the Earth,” made of wire, plastic and acrylic paint, was awarded third place.
Two additional works were recognized with Honorable Mention awards. David Hickernell, a junior graphic design major from Crystal Lake, Ill., entered “I’m Telling Everyone I Know,” an oil painting on wood. Jeff Sharp, a junior graphic design major from Bryant, Ark., entered the piece “Deceiving Jazz,” made of wire, pipe cleaners, aluminum foil and a light source. The substance of this piece is not found in the physical objects, but rather in the shadow that falls on the wall behind.
“Bones Will Bleach,” a drawing in pen by Myca Nutt, won the Art Club Choice Award. Nutt is a sophomore studio art major from Arkadelphia, Ark. A Faculty Excellence Award also will be announced at the March 2 reception.
“The Student Juried Exhibit gives the students a chance to be judged by professionals outside of faculty,” said Donnie Copeland, assistant professor of visual arts and chair of OBU’s Department of Visual Arts. Dolores Justus of Justus Fine Art and Justus Marketing in Hot Springs, Ark., served as juror.
Ouachita’s student-led Art Club sponsored the exhibit, and Summer Bruch, assistant professor of visual arts, said the club has “been very active this year. I’ve been very impressed.”
Many participants submitted works they made on their own time, outside of class. And, according to Copeland, “students may have tried media that’s new for them,” pushing their talents as growing artists.
“I think it’s a very good showing of work,” Bruch added.
“It’s unifying,” said Art Club President Adam Oakes. He explained that the exhibit’s student participants come from a wide variety of disciplines from mass communications to biology, not just the art department.
“It upholds the liberal arts values that Ouachita has,” Oakes said. “It also gives non-art majors an opportunity to display great works that they may have.”
Other participants and entries in this year’s art exhibit include:
Michael Connell, a junior graphic design and computer science major from Little Rock, Ark., presented an oil painting titled “Mel.” His second submission, a mixed media artwork titled “Morbleu” is, according to Bruch, an “interactive” piece. Viewers are encouraged to press the raised triangle in the palm of a sculpted hand in order to experience the artist’s mixed media creation. “It’s really the liberal arts thing!” Bruch said.
Stephanie Chontos, a sophomore graphic design major from Wylie, Texas, entered “Susurro Alado,” watercolor and pencil on paper, and “Mediote,” graphite on paper.
Brittany Ewart, a junior graphic design major from Bossier City, La., submitted “Urban Nature,” an oil painting, and “Area Codes,” a digital media piece.
Katie Hopmann, a junior studio art major from Cypress, Texas, entered “Rain Series,” an oil painting, and “Connections,” an oil and acrylic painting.
Erica Porter, a senior mass communications major from Azle, Texas, entered a three-part ceramic work titled “Bottles With Dots.”
Rebekah Poynor, a senior studio art major from Muenster, Texas, entered two pieces, an oil painting titled “Colors and Textures,” and a clay piece called “3 Cylinders.”
Courtney Sharp, a senior studio art major from Cherokee Village, Ark., entered two works. Both pieces, “Document; Head; Converse; Envision” and “Reminisce,” are charcoal drawings on maps.
Aly Smith, a sophomore mass communications major from Sherwood, Ark., entered “Lace,” an acrylic painting on Bristol board.
Natalie Whisenant, a senior biology major from Fort Worth, Texas, presented “Serenity,” ink on Kinwashi paper, and “Shadow,” a collagraph (a method of printmaking) in ink on Hosho paper.
The exhibit is free and open to the public. Regular gallery hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The exhibit is also available during evenings when other School of Fine Arts events are held in Mabee Fine Arts Center. For more information, contact Donnie Copeland at copelandd@obu.edu or (870) 245-5559.
