Students present their artsy side in gallery show

Close to 200 pieces of art from over 40 MHCC students have been judged and are on display in the Visual Arts Gallery as part of the Annual MHCC Visual Arts Juried Student Exhbit.

According to Miles Browne, the visual arts gallery coordinator, the show includes paintings, drawings, sculptures, ceramics and jewelry. Each student was able to submit up to four pieces, said Browne.

The art will be showcased until June 7.

A reception held yesterday awarded students with cash and non-cash awards for their work.

Cash awards given by the full time faculty were Best of show, Breakthrough award 2D and 3D and Faculty recognition award 2D and 3D. Skyler Blair won Best of show. Breakthrough award 2D went to Tonya Alexander, Break through award 3D to Jennifer Minnis, faculty recognition award 2D to Nathan Turner and Faculty recognition award 3D to Nancy Hawk.

Non-Cash awards went to Kayleigh MacKay and Cheryl Fish for Originality, Steve Keeney and Sherry Dunnihoo for technical skill, Shawn Daughton and Ashlin Lewis for Composition/use of elements, and Emergence of a Personal Vision or Voice to Wendy Williams and Ondrene Barnes. According to Browne, the Emergence of Personal Vision or Voice award is when you can see they are starting to develop a certain style as an artist.

Honorable mentions given in no specific order were awarded to Elizabeth Brown, Desi Moncrieffe, Jacob Stern, Courtney Carter, Alexandria Garcia-Eisenhardt, Manon Chaney, Haley Sawtelle, Maija Turks, Linda Johnson, Bonnie Gilchrist, John Brewer and Julie Clarke-Butcher.

“With so many pieces, its such a tough show to judge,” Browne said. Full-time art faculty judged the artwork.

According to Browne, all the art showcased was made in MHCC art classes in the 2011-12 school year.