May 3, 2012
For Immediate Release
By Sarah Ames, student news writer
CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky.—Campbellsville University recently held its annual juried student art show, and, according to many, it was the best one the university had ever put on.
“This has been the strongest show we've ever seen in all categories,” Linda J. Cundiff, professor of art and chair of Campbellsville University's Department of Art, said.
Davie Reneau, assistant professor of art, had similar feelings. “This is the best show I've seen in the 17 years I've been teaching here,” she said.
Tim Wood, a 2003 graduate of CU, judged the competition. “As an alum, I am honored and proud to see such talent flourishing at Campbellsville University. It has been a pleasure to be able to see the artworks and judge them,” said Wood.
Wood lives in Campbellsville, Ky., and works in the Taylor County School System as an art teacher.
Senior art student Patricia Mings won the highest award of the show, Best of Show, with her watercolor piece titled “November Light.”
“I thought it was a digital photograph the first time I walked in the room,” Reneau said. “The light in it, the space, it was all very, very nice.”
When asked to describe how she felt to win Best of Show, Mings said, “Humbled. This is a good way to finish my senior year. I'm honored that my piece was chosen, and that it will now be in the permanent art collection here at CU.”
Mings is from Eastview, Ky., and she graduates May 5.
The rest of the art show was divided into six categories: photography, sculpture, ceramics, drawing, painting and other.
In the photography category, first place went to Takashi Okuda, a sophomore of Japan, with his photo titled “Sunset.” Second place went to Lindsey Harrod, a senior of Springfield, Ky., for “Oil Pastels.” Third place was also won by Okuda with “Fall,” and Rick Wilson, a graduate student of Campbellsville, received Honorable Mention with his photo “Timeless Sunrise.”
In his comments, Wood said, “The pictures that really stood out in this category were those that utilized the fundamentals the most, such as simple lines that lead the viewer's eye, contrast, emphasis, textures, and those that focused on the composition.”
In the sculpture category, Patricia Mings won first place with her piece titled “The Revealing.” Natalie Olp, a senior of Hopkinsville, Ky., won second with “Tree Tiles.” Renee Renfro, a junior of Campbellsville, Ky., won third with “Female.” Alexis Crawford, a sophomore of Louisville, Ky., received Honorable Mention.
Wood said, “Creativity was the factor in this category that stood out. All the pieces demonstrated a good grasp of composition and skill in the chosen media.”
In the ceramics category, Renee Renfro won first place with her espresso set. Second place went to Jacqueline Beaty, a sophomore of Albany, Ky., for “Mexican Salsa.” Third place also went to Renfro for her bowl, and B.C. Gillispie of Campbellsville, Ky., received Honorable Mention for a lidded jar.
“This category was decided by craftsmanship,” said Wood. “The ceramics that stood out created the look of machine-made (perfect) ceramics, but retained the subtleties that show that they were created by hand.”
In the drawing category, Azucena Trejo-Williams of Campbellsville, Ky. ,won first place with her “Memento Mori” piece. Second place went to Erin Grimsley, a junior of Elizabethtown, Ky., for “Oh Death, Where is Your Sting.” Third place went to Linda Thomas of Campbellsville, Ky. for “Black and White,” and Lindsey Harrod received Honorable Mention for her piece, “Motion.”
In the painting category, Patricia Mings won first place for “November Light.” Sainzaya Azamat, a sophomore of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, won second with “Otgontenger Mountain.” Natalie Olp won second for “Watercolor Sailboat,” and Lindsey Harrod received Honorable Mention for “Tranquil Forest.”
In the other category, Mings won first with her “Time Present” piece, and Takashi Okuda won second for his brochure.
“It makes me proud as a teacher to see the quality of work produced,” Reneau said.
All pieces were judged by a rubric that Wood developed. He based the rubric on a 100-point scale, with 20 points each for originality, craftsmanship, composition, elements/principles and presentation.
“Some [of the pieces] jumped out at me personally, while others merely stood on their technical skill,” said Wood. “To maintain objectivity, I used the rubric to score each piece.”
Campbellsville University is a widely acclaimed Kentucky-based Christian university with more than 3,500 students offering 63 undergraduate options, 17 master's degrees, five postgraduate areas and eight pre-professional programs. The website for complete information is campbellsville.edu.