The opening reception for the 12th annual Student Exhibition and Art Awards Competition was held April 21, at the L.H. Horton Jr. Gallery.
Of the 63 artists of the 94 pieces of art on display in the gallery, 15 received recognition and cash awards for their artwork during an awards ceremony as part of the reception.
Sophomore Brennan Jeffery, 21, had three paintings on display at the exhibit.
All three won awards.
“Mandela” and “Hope” both won Best of Show, while “Jazz” received the Dean of Fine Arts Choice award.
“I was excited and surprised,” said Jeffery about his awards. “I thought I wouldn’t win anything.”
“Mandela” is a portrait, which Jeffery says is his usual focus. “Hope” and “Jazz” are both assignments from his teacher, Mario Moreno.
“He pushed me to expand beyond portraits,” Jefferey said, explaining the inspiration behind his work.
“There are a lot of really good pieces,” Jefferey said when asked about the exhibit itself. “There’s more compared to last year.”
This sentiment was echoed by senior Jason Compton, 22, whose painting “The Harpist” received a Division of Fine Arts Merit award.
Gallery Director Jan Marlese was similarly impressed by the collection of work this year, stating that it was the biggest student exhibition ever during her speech before the awards ceremony.
“It’s about 10 to 15 pieces bigger than last year,” Marlese later said. “[The Student Exhibition] always gets a lot of traffic, but I’m pleased with the big turnout this time.”
The Student Exhibition runs until May 18. For more details about the exhibit or to schedule a tour, contact Jan Marlese.
