Yangsook Ahn is the champion of the 12th annual Arkansas Tech University Juried Student Competitive Exhibition.
A junior fine art major from Seoul, South Korea, Ahn captured first place and $300 with her submission of a stoneware sculpture entitled “The Middle-Aged.”
Senior fine art major Melissa Mayner-Martin of Altus earned second place and $200 with “Bird Watching,” an oil on canvas painting. Third place and $100 went to junior graphic design major Chandler Hiatt of Fayetteville. He submitted a demonstration of wood burning and wood stain on lauan wood entitled “The Door.”
Honorable mention prizes were conferred upon Jenna Jamison of Benton and Rachael Laffoon of Dover, both of whom are senior graphic design students. Jamison was recognized for her digital illustration “Daryl Dixon,” while Laffoon was honored for a magazine layout.
Forty-five ATU students submitted 102 works of art for possible inclusion in the show, which is on display in Norman Hall Art Gallery, 203 West Q Street in Russellville. Fifty-three pieces from 33 artists were selected.
Twenty-one seniors, 14 juniors, seven sophomores and three freshmen submitted their art for review.
Melissa Cowper-Smith served as juror for the exhibition. She is a multimedia artist who practices in projected video animation, digital printing, paper making, collage and painting.
“Looking at the work submitted for the 12th annual Tech Juried Student Competitive Exhibition, I could see many students working hard to figure out the challenges of their mediums,” wrote Cowper-Smith in a portion of her juror’s statement. “Although it is no easy task to gain dexterity with the diverse materials that are present in this exhibition, many of the works succeed in exemplifying technical mastery. While some of the compositions ask us to move in closer, others offer us a longer view. Many of the works are physically tactical or incorporate the illusion of textural surface. Most of the works are representational…fully embracing the pictorial, and working toward personal expression, symbolism or metaphor.”
Bridgestone Firestone of Russellville sponsored the exhibition awards.
Other artists featured in the 12th annual ATU Juried Student Competitive Exhibition are Ronnie Allen, W.A. Zak Blankenship, Lynn Brooks, Emily Cahanin, Casey DeAngelo, Brianna Dial, Miki Dryden, Audrey Fox, Laken Gentry, Austin Gilmore, Addison Graham, Kyra Gray, Fernanda J. Hernandez, Kimberly Huff, Lyndsey Jones, Katelyn Kemp, Taylor Kilgore, Hassan Madkhali, Alicia Meuangmany, Ka-Ina Perez, Julian Price, Aspen Roberts, Lauren Saab, Ireland Sanders, Jennifer Shipley, Amy Sprague, Evan Still and Karly Williams.
“Congratulations to all of the students who entered the exhibition,” said Summer Bruch, head of the ATU Department of Art and associate professor of art, during the awards reception on Wednesday, Nov. 14. “You created wonderful work and we were very impressed. You should all be very proud. This is a line on your resume and a launching point into your careers as artists.”
The exhibition will remain available for public viewing at Norman Hall Art Gallery weekdays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. through Nov. 30 (excluding holidays).
Learn more about the ATU Department of Art.
