Excitement filled the hallway of the Bardo Arts Center on March 20, as Carolyn Grosh, curator of collections & exhibitions, stepped on stage to announce the award recipients of the 57th Annual Juried Art Exhibition.
The Annual Juried Art Exhibition provides students, no matter their major, the opportunity to be creative and showcase their work. It’s not a small achievement to have your art selected for the exhibition.
Julian Parker's handmade ceramic piece “Aftermath” displayed in a glass case drawing attention to the dramatic events that can change one's mental state.
Julian Parker stands beside award-winnning piece “Aftermath”
Julian Parker and Marie T. Cohran discuss art in front of, Parker’s award-winning piece “Aftermath”
Sally Drumheller’s acrylic and watercolor piece “Female Freaks” highlighting how memories fade away and become distorted.
Sally Drumheller stands beside her displayed piece “Female Freak”
Valeria Ramos’ ink, acrylic and sharpie piece highlighting human emotions and the impact of trauma.
Marie T. Cochran hands Valeria Ramos her award as they pose for a picture.
Valeria Ramos stands beside her award-winning piece “Helena”“Every year I see non-art majors apply and be selected for the exhibition, which is a testament to the creative spirit that exists in every discipline across our university community,” Grosch said.
This year’s juror was Marie Cochran, former WCU School of Art faculty member and curator of the Affrilachian project. Cochran’s work centers around community and collaboration.
“My artwork has always been about social issues, groups of people. The history of different racial ethnic groups.” Cochran said.
According to Cochran choosing pieces for the exhibition was extremely difficult.
“There was so much diversity in content, subject matter, media, whether it was an installation piece, a photograph or a ceramic mug that didn’t have a statement but had beauty all by itself,” Cochran said.
Each year jurors pick 26 pieces for the exhibition, Cochran struggled to narrow them down. Cochran chose 31 out of 182 pieces from the 55 artists that participated.
“Another element that came into the selection process is the present moment. There were some pieces that spoke to that, that were undeniable because they were powerful by themselves” Cochran said.
The pieces submitted into this year’s exhibition spoke to the present moment of Hurricane Helene, one of those pieces was Valeria Ramos’ “Helena”.
Ramos’ work is a series that connects through hurricanes. Originally from Puerto Rico, an area that experiences hurricanes frequently, Ramos said that Hurricane Helene reminded her of home.
Combining both the experience of living through hurricanes in Puerto Rico and living through Hurricane Helene, Ramos wanted to highlight how everyone felt in the aftermath of Helene.
“I wanted to show that anything’s possible, even in the darkest hour. When you come together, everything is possible.” Ramos said.
A few days prior to the exhibition, Ramos was was in a car accident. Because of her injuries in the accident she almost did not attend. However, she chose to come and left with two awards, 2-D media and the Chancellor’s purchase award.
Ramos’ “Helena” will be displayed in the H.F. Robinson Administration Building in the Chancellor’s Suite.
“This piece resonated with me because the way it captured the emotions following Helene. This piece was a thought-provoking reflection of that time across our region,” said WCU Chancellor Keli Brown.
Julian Parker received one of the two awards in 3-D media for his ceramic piece, “Aftermath.”
Aftermath is a four-piece ceramic set in a glass case that focuses on the psychological warfare individuals face in everyday life.
“I wanted to try my best to represent the display persona that we all do to live in society and how daily life and improper coping mechanisms can deteriorate it,” Parker said.
Of the four pieces in the set, Parker focused on one piece highlighting how traumas can have drastic effects when not coping properly.
“If you don’t learn how to cope with the traumas you’ve had in your past, you will drown and be lost,” said Parker. “The only way to recover is to find yourself and persevere and face those challenges wholeheartedly.”
Sally Drumheller’s piece, “Female Freak,” secured a spot in the exhibition.
Drumheller’s piece depicts a distorted naked woman lying on the floor of a room.
“It goes back to this memory idea. When you have a memory so far back in your brain and trying to figure out whether that was a reality or if it was a dream,” Drumheller said.
“Female Freak” is part of a series called “The Freaks” that depicts human-like characters through a distorted lens.
In her speech, Cochran gave students a quote from Audre Lorde.
“Once you start to speak, people will yell at you. They will interrupt you, put you down and suggest it’s personal.
And the world won’t end. And the speaking will get easier and easier.
And you will find you have fallen in love with your own vision, which you may never have realized you had.
And you will lose some friends and lovers and realize you don’t miss them. And new ones will find you and cherish you.
And you will still flirt and paint your nails, dress up and party, because…at last you’ll know with surpassing certainty that only one thing is more frightening than speaking your truth. And that is not speaking.”
