Last Wednesday, March 18, the 26th Annual Student Juried Exhibition opened in the Ortlip Gallery. On March 27, the gallery will hold a reception at the exhibition from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The exhibition will be open from March 18 until April 16.
Alicia Taylor, Director of Exhibitions for the Ortlip Gallery, stated “The exhibition will feature work by current Houghton students in a variety of media… [including] photography, drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, fiber and textiles, book arts, and ceramics.” The works will be juried by an outside artist and curator, Sharon McConnell. McConnell is the Director of the Fosdick-Nelson Gallery at Alfred University.
According to senior, Merritt Becknell, a juror for such an exhibition evaluates entries and decides which pieces will be featured beforehand, rather than judging them at the exhibition. Becknell is among one of the artists who will be featured in the exhibition.
Cash prizes for exceptional pieces will also be a part of the exhibition. Some of the awards and prizes announced at the show include the Best in Show-Ortlip award, the Paul Maxwell Memorial Award, the Presidential Purchase, the First Gentlemen’s purchase, the Java 101 award, and the Bob and Rosalyn Danner Award. Senior, Amanda Irwin, a student leader of the exhibition said while there is no theme, the exhibition is an “opportunity for students to exhibit and receive recognition for the thought and creative process of their work. “
The general student population gets some exposure to artwork created by their fellow students in The Lanthorn, The Candle, and in STAR features such as “Artist of the Week.” However, according to Irwin, this is a great opportunity to get up close and personal with high achieving work made by other students.
Taylor added, “The installation and layout of this exhibition will be student led by the Ortlip Gallery assistants who are thrilled to work toward a powerful show, giving voice and recognition to the strong ideas and processes addressed in the works selected.” A few of the gallery assistants, such as senior Alex Hood, will have work featured in the exhibition.
Junior Rachel Wright, who has pieces featured in the exhibition, noted “I’ve submitted work for the past few years, but the juror varies every year so you never know if you’re going to get work in. It’s pretty exciting either way, and it gives us a chance to experience a little bit of what the professional art world is like by framing and preparing our pieces the way we would if we were submitting them to a gallery.”
The exhibition is open to the general public for viewing from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m, Monday through Saturday in the Ortlip Gallery.