Nicole Torres (left) displays her piece “In the Stillness of the Night” and Celeste Miner holds her “Hope in Darkness,” both selected to be part of the 56th annual Student Art Exhibition at Camden County College in Blackwood.
For young artists the first opportunity to exhibit their creations, and even offer them for sale, is exhilarating.
“I was so amazed by the turnout at the opening reception,” said Nicole Torres, whose work “In the Stillness of the Night,” was part of Camden County College’s 56th annual student art exhibition. The free event is open to the public until Friday in the Marlin Art Gallery.
“I used black construction paper and white chalk to sketch out the line work,” explained Torres, who will graduate with an associate’s degree in graphic design later this month and plans to attend Rutgers University-Camden in the fall. “The very intentional clarity is for the viewer to move their eyes.”
Her digital piece – “Mumford & Sons – Road to Red Rocks” – was also on display.
Celeste Miner was thrilled to be part of the juried art show with two of her photographs and her acrylic on canvas, “Hope in Darkness.” They were among works from more than 50 current Camden County College students in a variety of media, including photography, sculpture, paintings, drawings, ceramics, graphic arts, animation and film.
“I am leaning more to photography in the future,” Miner noted. “I am the first person in my family to go to college, and being part of this exhibition is a wonderful experience.”
“We are extremely excited to see what these hardworking students have crafted for this exhibit,” said county Commissioner Deputy Director Ed McDonnell, liaison to the college. “The student art exhibit allows our students to get creative, through various mediums of art, and connect with their peers while displaying their work.
“Camden County College is committed to supporting our students in their artistic ventures and the yearly student art exhibition is a great way to do that.”
Located in Lincoln Hall at the college’s Blackwood campus, adjacent to the Dennis Flyer Memorial Theater, the Marlin Art Gallery displayed the works of the artists.
“It’s fundamentally an important opportunity for art majors to have their works displayed in a professional gallery,” said Dr. Sarah Iepson, dean of liberal arts for the college, who purchased “In the Stillness of the Night,” which Torres created with chalk on construction paper.
“This showcase is a juried exhibition,” observed Gregory Brellochs, chairperson of Visual and Performing Arts, who encourages the students to attend a “high-caliber art school” after graduation, including Philadelphia’s Tyler School of Art and Architecture, the Moore School of Art and Design and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.
“It’s a great motivational factor for the students to be able to get recognized for all hard work they have done.”
Student pieces from the college’s art collection are displayed in buildings throughout campus. All of the works in this year’s exhibition were winners by being selected to be part of the show. Each student was eligible to submit three entries, and two judges decided which works were the best in 13 different categories.
The winners of this year’s student art exhibition were: Corinne Cargen, “Fallen Angels,” Acrylic & India ink; Annie Fredrickson, “Castles Made of Sand,” Acrylic on Canvas; Jack Ambrose, “The Spot,” Animation; Taylor Eagan, “The Beetle Bowl,” Ceramic, Glaze & Wire; Paige Myers, “26+6=1,” Graphite; and Maia Kormer, “Hopeless Dream,” Film; Dung Ngo, “Hello,” Digital Print; Wilma Nilsson, “Untitled,” Acrylic on Canvas; Mishelle Hernandez, “In Motion,” Photography; Rekha Chandra, “She,” Ceramic; Wilma Nilsson, “Morning Routine,” Watercolor; Helen Driggs, “Slab Built Vase,” Stoneware, Oxide Stain, & Glaze; and Madison Mitchell, “Match Point,” Alcohol, Marker and Acrylic on Bristol Board.
