Artistic Alchemy: A Look at the Spring Student and Member Showcase

Artwork: "Shogun (Lord Toranaga)" by Rita Bailon

Of the seven exhibitions The Art Center hosts during the year, two are particularly special to us. Our bi-annual Student and Member Exhibitions showcase the incredible talent and creativity present within the Center. We’ve watched so many of our artists grow into their craft and personal style over the years, and one of our favorite reactions from people new to the center is the gasping realization that “wait, this is student work!?”

And yes, it is primarily student work exhibited at our Student and Member shows, including the current exhibition, Artistic Alchemy. We have work from members (teachers and professional artists who enjoy the exhibition opportunity), but of the 93 pieces submitted to the spring show, fewer than 15 pieces were submitted by members. These include paintings by Summer Lowe and Lory Macrate, photographs by Katheryn Eriksen and Taylor Hess, mixed media work by Monika Mittal and Holly Ozsan, and jewelry by Patricia Tresness.

The remaining works were all completed by our students as a part of the classes they take at The Art Center. A little less than 40% of the student submissions come from our robust ceramics department, with the remaining 60% split between our drawing and painting students.

When we first started the Student and Member Exhibitions, we had trouble getting submissions. Shyness or self-consciousness played a role in the light turnout, with students expressing trepidation about being ready to display their work. We’re so glad to see so many of our students overcoming this feeling to proudly share their art with the world! Your unique vision and your drive to create and grow in the arts is what makes this place so special, and it shines through in the exhibition.

The sheer volume and variety of talent on display makes this a particularly challenging show to judge, and our approach to judging the Student and Member Showcase changes a little each year as we attempt to find the most fair means of finding our award winners. Students and Members are always judged in separate categories so that students don’t find themselves being judged directly against their instructors, and this year we’re also judging student ceramics separately from the visual work. Joyce Reese, a long-time art teacher and ceramics instructor with a Master’s from Georgia State, will be our judge for this exhibit.

You, too, can be a judge in this show. We have People’s Choice voting going until early May. Come by to see the show and vote for your favorite piece to give it the best chance of winning the People’s Choice ribbon!

Our awards will be presented at a closing reception held on May 9th from 6:00-7:30 pm. We’ll have wine and hors d’oeuvres, including treats generously baked and provided by members of our Guild. The receptions are always a lovely time, and they’re free and open to the public. It’s a great way to meet the artists, make new friends, and enjoy a classy evening together.

Thank you again to all of our students and members who contributed your work to the exhibition, and thank you to all involved at The Art Center for making this such an incredible place to be!