VSU Student Art Competition

The annual VSU Student Art Competition is open to all VSU students to enter, regardless of major. This year, 55 students submitted 180 works in different media. Tallahassee Artist and Juror/judge Mark Dickson selected 50 artworks from 34 students.

Thank you to all the student artists who entered the competition, whether juried or not. We appreciate every one of you!

Please direct any sales inquiries or questions to Gallery Director Julie Bowland at jabowlan@valdosta.edu

Judge's statement, from Mark Dickson:

First let me state it is an honor and a true joy to have been asked to jury the student exhibition at Valdosta State University. As a visual artist myself I am acutely aware of the struggles and triumphs of creating and exhibiting; the associated excitement and anxieties involved in sharing publicly something personal that you have created. The process of submitting your creations to be scrutinized, interpreted and inevitably selected or not for exhibition is a bold step. I applaud all of the artists who demonstrated the courage to step forward and share their work.

When approaching this opportunity of selecting work for an exhibition such as this, I employ certain basic criteria starting with an instant visual and emotional response to the work. From this point I examine craftsmanship, attention to detail, execution and continuity of design. Then comes the deeper look, an attempt to understand the artist voice and intent. Overall it can be a daunting task but also a rewarding one.

It is my hope that the artists who were selected and those who received awards will take inspiration from their success in being chosen to exhibit. I hope that those who weren’t selected will not become discouraged, but instead will continue to create, refine, and explore the vastness of what it means to be a visual artist.

-Mark Dickson
www.markdicksonstudios.com

Awards,
with comments from Juror/judge Mark Dickson:

First Place $200
Rasheem Callender
Trayvon
Stop motion animation

A powerful work in this tumultuous social climate that we exist in and must navigate through. Not only a demonstration of artistic skill but of presentation and the power of visual storytelling. I am impressed with the artist’s incorporation of stop motion animation, which is difficult and a time-consuming process. The subsequent story is communicated with strength and skill leaving the viewer with no doubts to the urgency of the message.

Second Place $125
Isabelle Redenius
Orange 1
Mixed media

For me this is a visual feast. A composition filled with the loud colors of emotional expression and existential angst. Executed with an eye for the frantic nature of what it means to be human and vulnerable, while still maintaining the sense of beauty and intrigue.

Third Place $100-Faith Thompson
Wilting
Metals
In the case of Wilting, my love of dimensional work and the use of my favorite medium, metals come into play. Being a sculptor of metal I am well aware of the intricacies and challenges associated with this work. Here we see a clear juxtaposition of color, texture and subject matter demonstrated. The delicate dying bloom immortalized with such skill in nonferrous alloys, defying decay and the ravages of the relentless marching of time.

   Fourth Place $75-Jen Padron
Red, Blue against Yellow
Acrylic on canvas
I love the dramatic and turbulent blending of color that creates such texture and light in this work. The
   painting pulls the viewer deep into the composition, transporting them into a timeless cosmic landscape. I feel the artist has done an impressive job in
   communicating the violent strength and beauty that is the natural world.

Honorable Mentions

Makevia Moore
Black Lives Over Blank Eyes
Stop motion animation