Awards bestowed in Juried Student Art Exhibit’s multiple categories
Top honors went to Jennifer Hipolite, who earned the tag “Best of Show” and $500 for her cardboard-constructed piece titled “Sewing Machine.” (Courtesy of Saddleback College Art Gallery)
Saddleback College is now holding its annual Juried Student Art Exhibit. A total of 80 hand-selected works will be on display in the campus Art Gallery until next Wednesday. At this free showing, the public is able to view these award-winning works, which are 100 percent created by student artists.
“The artwork and the display are way stronger than you will see in any local gallery or museum in Orange County,” said Art Gallery Director Bob Rickerson.
An open invitation was posted in early April encouraging all studio art, photography, and graphic design students to submit their work. Over 330 entries covering drawing, painting, printmaking, jewelry, sculpture, photography, mixed media and graphics were received. The submitted entries were subsequently narrowed down to a group one-fourth the size of the original.
Three professional artists acted as judges for the final works. Terry Miller covered photography entries, Jorg Dubin reviewed the two-dimensional pieces, and Fred Stodder judged the three-dimensional works. The jurors selected a first-place winner, second-place winner, and three honorable mentions from each category.
“Jurying art is a very subjective act,” judge Fred Stodder said. “So students who didn’t get in the show should just blame it on the jurors and keep making their art.”
On April 30, nearly 300 people attended an Artists’ Reception, Pot Luck, and Awards Ceremony held in the gallery from 6-9 p.m. Cash prizes and certificates were awarded to students who won in each respective category.
Top honors went to Jennifer Hipolite, who earned the tag “Best of Show” and $500 for her cardboard-constructed piece titled “Sewing Machine.” First place and $100 winners included Nathan Catlin for his 2D work “I fell in love with your disguise, don’t ever fall in love with a crocodile,” Diane Walling for her 3D piece titled “Bucephalus,” and Malia Cong for her photo titled “Hope.”
Judging the show was no easy feat stressed Dubin, whose own work can be viewed in galleries around Laguna Beach.
“Viewing art is so subjective and personal. Aesthetics are generally difficult to set aside,” he said. “I am engaged by good ideas more than great technique.”
After the exhibit closes, the artwork will be returned to the artists. Anyone interested in purchasing a piece can contact Rickerson at [email protected].