Annual Student Juried Art Show

Every year Albright hosts the Annual Juried Student Art show held in Albright’s own Freedman Gallery. I look forward to this event because it gives me an opportunity to try to display photographs I have taken, and it also allows me to see the other art produced by students here at Albright. This year’s show was displayed from May 8th to May 14th and the opening reception took place from 3-5pm on May 8th. Any student at Albright can submit pieces to show; it is not limited to art students. I myself am not an art student but a Digital Media major, and so my concentrated area focused on photography. After speaking with Michael Howell, the Director of the Freedman Gallery, I was able to learn about how and why the show exists, and about the organizational process of it all:
“Like all institutions that teach art, it is important that the educators and students be given the opportunity to showcase the works of the student artists for a number of reasons. The first, and perhaps the most vital to the mission of the institution, is to offer the students some real world experience in the intricacies of professional competition. Second, but not necessarily in importance, is to offer the students the opportunity to show their work(s) to the broader community of the campus and the region (we do get many people from outside that come here to see what our students are creating). It allows the best of our young artists the chance to show their work to a much broader audience beyond the classroom environment.”

Each student can submit up to 7 pieces, which are then assessed by an outside artist whom the gallery invites to be the juror. The juror is an artist who has either shown at the gallery or will be showing there in the near future. This year, that artist was Beverly Leviner,(Click to see an example of Beverly’s work) a sculptor and ceramic artist who helped found the Hilltop Studio in Reading, PA, where she works with fellow artist Nancy Sarangoulis to make mosaic and tile art pieces. Nancy now works at Albright as the Collections manager and Preparator for the Freedman Gallery. Nancy also currently works at Penn State Berks. Michael told me that the reason for the outside juror is also because it ties in with real world experience. Every artist, in every medium, benefits from criticism by people outside of their peers and those whom they know. It is also thought to be more objective if the juror has no direct ties with the submitted work. It also helps students and artists to learn about the diversity of opinions: a different juror may have picked different works, or they have picked the same ones; it is impossible to say. The juror also decides which pieces or individuals are to receive awards.

There were many other awards that were given out as well, and although not every artist could receive one, their art and talents were still very much appreciated. This is a fantastic opportunity for students to have their works displayed for the public to see and appreciate. If they wish, students can even choose to price their works for sale, giving them an even bigger taste of the real-work experience of having artwork in a gallery. It is very generous for the gallery to hold such an event and showcase the work of the students. In the Albrightian article written by Esther Lam, a freshman at Albright, another freshman, Ruby Chu, was quoted as saying, “I am not an art major, but I’ve loved art since I was young. I look at everything’s colors, shapes, curves, mediums, textures, and so on. I am so glad Albright is holding this art show, giving me an opportunity to get in touch with art again.” I think that this is the main focus of having such a gallery show, and it works wonderfully, not only for students who wish to submit pieces, but also for those who would just like to come to appreciate some art. It is especially exciting for students to see their friends’ works displayed in a gallery.

Reading community member Stephanie Cromwell comes to the show every year because it allows people to see Albright students’ talents in the arts, and it’s a good opportunity for students to see other students’ works. Stephanie has many friends at Albright, and she told me “I am not an art student, and so this is a unique chance to see the work the students have been working on all year.” The show allows students to learn, and for the work that is not accepted, they can submit it again next year. Everyone learns from experience. The show is very effective because a wide variety of people come to the show; it showcases Albright students’ hard work and how creative they are.

For my podcast I chose to focus on the organization of the show and especially on the awards ceremony, as this is the highlight for many people. The awards ceremony also takes place every year when certain artists are awarded for certain art pieces. I won the Digital Media award for the three photographs that were accepted, and Heather Martell, one of the interviewees in the my video, won the Art Department award for her sculpture “Fashion Stinks.” I spoke with Lisa Korecky, the secretary for the Center of the Arts who handles all the contacts for the awards, as well as helps with the organization. I also spoke with student Esther Lam, who wrote the Albrightian article, who did not have works in the show, but was able to share her opinions on the awards and the show.

My video is of the gallery opening night and of the wide variety of pieces on display. I spoke with Heather Martell ‘11, whose sculpture won an award, along with Kevin Vogrin, an alumnus of Albright who had works in the show in previous years. There was a wide range of pieces in the gallery and the opening reception was a huge success, filled with students, professors, and community members.