Art students' earn accolades during exhibition
Article By: Staff
Every year, the University of North Georgia's (91ÁÔÆæ) art students compete for top honors during the Hal B. Rhodes III Student Exhibition Awards as well as other artistic and scholarship awards on 91ÁÔÆæ's Dahlonega Campus. This year was no different with five students being recognized in the exhibition and 13 students receiving other accolades and scholarships.
Earning the crown as the Department of Visual Arts' Student of the Year was Ashley Blankenship.
"I was a little surprised, but I was certainly honored," said Blankenship, who graduated in December 2017 with a Bachelor of Science in art marketing.
The Student of the Year has demonstrated excellence in all areas of scholarship, artistic form, media expertise, conceptual sophistication, community engagement, and meritorious service. It also includes the senior who has scored high on his or her senior exhibition.
Craig Wilson, assistant professor of visual arts at 91ÁÔÆæ, explained the faculty begin the selection process with about 60 recent graduates and narrow it down to two or three.
"Then the faculty panel of seven or eight vote to pick the best," Wilson said. "And Ashley came out on top this year."
Winning the Faculty of the Year award was Alexandra Kraft, assistant professor of visual arts at 91ÁÔÆæ.
Winners from the Hal B. Rhodes III Student Exhibition were:
- Best in Show: Sommer Coen
- First: Ashley Wyman
- Second: Scott Lacey
- Third: Dustin Hogan
- Honorable Mention: Cosette Street
Other awards and recognitions were:
- Frank Youngblood Social Justice: Michelle Vatral
- Lawrence A. Karst Jr. Award for excellence in weaving and fiber: Anabel Nelson
- Lawrence A. Karst Jr. Award for excellence in textiles: Holly Feldman
- Arrowmont Promising Ceramics Concentration Award: Chancey Doster
- Thomas Scanlin Award: Sommer Coen
- Tommye Scanlin Award: Isabella Martino
- The McClure-Scanlin Award: Diana Revenkov
- Polly Neel Art Education Award: Emma Connor
- Kathleen Jackson Art Education Award: Dustin Hogan
- The Gloria Shott Scholarship: Zoey Fleck, Cody Thomas, Wendy Medrano, Brianna Fairbanks
- Department Chair Award: Zoey Fleck
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Dr. Esther Morgan-Ellis, Abigail Cannon ’24 and Lily Hammond '24 had an article published in 'Choral Journal,' the international journal of the American Choral Directors Association.
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