Ball State University art students nudged friends and family through a series of exhibits at the 75th annual Student Art Show.
Senior Candice Weber was one of these students. She led her mother and younger siblings through the maze of almost 400 people milling around the first and second floors of the Art Museum.
Weber contributed an animation still based on a story from Japanese mythology. She said she is happy to have her piece in the show, but as an artist you can't get discouraged if your work isn't displayed. She said she submitted two other pieces for the show that were cut. She knows another student who submitted work to a national contest,
but that work wasn't selected for the Ball State student art show.
"You can't get your feelings hurt," she said. "As an artist, all your success depends on the opinion of a few people."
An art professor at Ohio State University was the judge, or juror, for the event. She selected which pieces to go in the show, and she also determined the awards.
Weber said it may have been fairer to have a slate of judges, but it would also be more expensive for the art department to fund.
About 300 people were in the crowd at the Art Museum to see the creative works of more advanced artists. Another 100 people were at the Art and Journalism Building viewing entries from freshmen and students in the core art classes.
Associate professor John Gee said Ball State's art program is noteworthy for its breadth and depth, including the use of new electronic media and the new glass making courses that will be housed at the Marilyn K. Glick Center for Glass next year.
Senior Jordan Miller said animation has become more popular in the past few years. It was a new program at Ball State in 2005. His entry to the art show was a character animation demo reel, which he described as a collection of animation scenes. Miller said the demo reel is something he could display during an interview as he applies
for internships with Disney and Pixar.
"I just like how you can take a character and bring it to life," he said. "The animator is the actor, and the characters could represent me in my awkward, funny situations."
Senior Braydee Euliss said it's important for students to realize the value of having their work in a juried art show. She said the collection of student work in the show encompassed a wide range, but most were contemporary.
"The juror is a contemporary artist, and she probably had a preference for that," she said.
Gee called the 75th anniversary a hallmark year for the art show. He said the show has gotten larger throughout the years as the size of the university and the student body has grown. This year, there were 93 entries, and some artists submitted more than one piece.
"For students in the art department, this is the event of the year," he said. "There's the art show, then there's graduation, then it's all over."
Fast facts:
93 entries
75th year for the art show
About 400 people attended
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