Annual juried student art exhibition set to open
Selected student artworks will be showcased at the University Art Gallery beginning Feb. 26 with a virtual reception at Feb. 27. The virtual reception will give awards to the students.
Artworks will be a variety of digital, traditional, and even performance artworks. They were judged by artist Salvador Jiménez-Flores, faculty member at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He is also a member of organizations that advance conversations in minority communities and promote artworks from people of color, according to his website’s biography.
There are 23 artworks by 18 artists that will be displayed in the gallery. Last year, there was a record amount for the event at 88 works by 63 artists.
The Art Gallery Director Anne Gochenour believes it’s the lack of community due to COVID-19 that drove a lesser turnout, she said.
“In a community, (students) see other people getting ready to enter the show and they encourage each other,” she said.
The gallery will not be publishing any of the works online, she said. It’s because it’s something that can’t be experienced on a screen, Gochenour said.
“You just get more out of it seeing it in person," Gochenour said. “You can see more texture, the color … You see how it’s laid out and how it’s played together in the gallery.”
The art gallery is open Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on Saturday 11am to 3 p.m. There is a limit of 10 people allowed in the gallery at once. Appointments are also available through contacting the gallery.
