Students’ works to be presented in gallery

The University of South Dakota’s College of Fine Arts will be holding the 25th annual Stilwell Juried Exhibition beginning Feb. 10 and ending Feb. 29.

The exhibition will feature 75 selected pieces of artwork ranging in different areas created by USD students.

Alison Erazmus, director of the university art galleries, said in order to submit work the students had to have made the piece in the last year and they had to have been an art student in the past year.

“Students could submit up to five pieces to be considered for the exhibition,” Erazmus said.

Erazmus said the selection process for the show, as well as judging of the exhibition, is done by a professional artist or curator every year.

“This year we brought in John Jennings, who is a professor of visual studies,” Erazmus said. “He is also a comic book artist.”

Erazmus said Jennings has his own perspectives as far as his own creative work.

Out of the 300 submitted pieces, 75 were chosen for the final exhibition.

Erazmus said in the past, jurors have been very fair and wanted to make sure each artist has their best pieces selected.

“With Jennings, he selected the best pieces to be in the show,” Erazmus said. “He didn’t know who made what and had no bias. He really judged based on the quality of the work.”

Senior Amanda Connelly, graphic design major, said the work submitted ranges from print, to graphic design, to sculpture.

“We could submit five works costing $1 a piece,” Connelly said. “You basically submit and pray that it gets in.”

Connelly has submitted a piece selected in last year’s exhibition as well as this year.

“For the students, it’s a big deal to get in because there are so many people within the art department competing and putting their work in,” Connelly said. “If you get in it’s a really great honor.”

The exhibition will officially open Feb. 10 and there will be a reception at 5 p.m. in the John A. Day Gallery at the Warren M. Lee Center for the Fine Arts.

At the reception, a Best in Show will be awarded for one piece of art. Best in show will be decided by Jennings and will receive a cash prize.

Erazmus said being selected for the exhibition means a third-party professional has decided their work communicates something.

“If a professional from the outside comes in and looks at your piece and is taking it seriously, that’s very special for that artist because they’re doing what they’re learning to do,” Erazmus said.

Reach reporter Payton Randle at

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