The Department of Art & Design at the Katherine Reese Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences held its annual Juried Student Art Exhibition Reception and Scholarship Ceremony on February 12 at the Mary S. Byrd Gallery of Art. The event showcased student work selected by juror Madeline Beck, curator at the Marietta-Cobb Museum of Art, and was organized by Gallery Director Raoul Pacheco.
Pacheco emphasized the importance of community in art, stating, “Art is the gathering. It lives in the eyes of people. We don’t get through this together without each other. The community is what makes events successful, but support is what makes these things worth it.”
During the ceremony, faculty awarded $17,000 in scholarships to students for their achievements. The evening also featured a surprise appearance from Mary S. Byrd, namesake of the gallery.
Several major scholarships were presented: Kat DeBoard received the Eugenia Comer Scholarship; Seth Prior earned the Samuel & Sarah Singal Scholarship; and Avery Watson received the Nate Bindler Scholarship.
Avery Watson also won first place in the Greater Augusta Arts Council Student Artist Awards. Orrin Thompson finished second and Patricia Guthrie placed third.
Other award recipients included Gabe Rawlins (Columbia County Artist Guild Arts Award), Jon Mack (Georgia Rehabilitation Institute Courage and Creativity Award), Patricia Guthrie (Philip Morsberger Purchase Award), Aliya Burnside and Diana Rojas Romero (Katherine Pamplin Talent Studio Art Award), Mikel Leonard and Mia Noble (Pamplin Digital Storytelling Scholarship), Jadie Ward (Studio Arts Foundation Award), Diana Rojas Romero (Clay Artists of the Southeast Award), Laila Gracy (Lillian Rosen Scholarship), and Antonio Fernandez (Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art – Freeman Schoolcraft Award).
Dustin Avent-Holt, PhD, associate dean of Pamplin College, attended the event and said, “The students’ creative work on display at the exhibit is a reflection of the talents of our students and the dedicated mentoring of faculty in the Department of Art & Design. It is a testament to their commitment to student success at Augusta University.”
The exhibition will remain open to visitors through March 4.
