With the growing interest at Mississippi State University in the arts, the Campus Activities Board created a student art contest to allow students an outlet for their work.The Union Art Gallery will exhibit the work of the contest until Thursday.
“The pieces that were accepted could be 2-D or 3-D of any medium. We received several oil paintings, photography and sculptures,” said campus creations committee executive Roxy Ditto.
Artwork for the contest was accepted until March 31 and all 21 pieces entered were submitted into the exhibit, Ditto said.
“This is the first year CAB has done the Student Art Contest,” she said.
The Campus Creations Committee, new to CAB this semester, discussed the different talents of MSU students. Art was a student talent they wanted to show, Ditto said.
“My hope for the show was that many students with different majors and concentrations would show off their creativity and enter their work in the contest.”
“All of the work that is in the gallery is beautiful and very well crafted, and it’s amazing that many of the students entered are not art majors,” Ditto said.
She said it is important for students to have a place to show their personal artwork for all of MSU to see.
“I entered the contest because I have oil painted since I was in the sixth grade and my art teacher and parents always encouraged me to display my work, and some prize money if I win something would not be so bad either,” sophomore art major Blake Butler said.
He said that he was excited that CAB did the show so art majors could show their work and non-art majors could show their hidden talents.
“I entered two pieces painted with oil paint,” Butler said. “One is of a rooster that I did for my grandmother and the other one is of a landscape that I entitled ‘Morning Sunrise’ because it has a foggy look with the sun behind it.”
Butler entered one previous contest in junior high for an oil painting of his school mascot, he said.
Freshman photography major Preston Miller said he entered his work because it is an easy, free way to get his work exhibited.
“I think it’s great that CAB gives us students a trouble-free way of having our art shown. Most contests only accept a select few, but anyone was accepted for this show free of charge,” he said.
Miller said he had never entered an art show before this one.
“These students put a lot of time into their work and they take a lot of pride in it,” Ditto said. “It is also good to have a show that is open to all students, rather than just the fine arts majors.”
She said the show is going well because there was more interest than expected.
“Campus Activities Board is definitely planning on sponsoring another art contest next year and trying to make it an annual event,” Ditto said.
The opening reception will be from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on April 10. Winners will be announced that night.
The first place winner will receive $100, second place will receive $75 and third place will receive $50.