Stetson University’s Creative Arts Department will host the opening reception for the 2013 Undergraduate Juried Art Exhibition, on Friday, Nov. 8, from 6-8 p.m., in the Hand Art Center, 139 E. Michigan Ave., located on Stetson’s Palm Court on the DeLand campus. This event is free and open to the public. The exhibition will run through Monday, Dec. 2.

This year’s poster, right, features the original artwork by Stetson senior Ashleigh Stuart, double major in art and music. Entitled, Opus 16, it uses mixed media, and was the 2012 winner of the Student Choice Award, the Li-Hung Catron Award of Distinction, and the Friends of Art Purchase award at the 23rd Annual Juried Student Art Exhibition.

Stetson senior Megan Molle, creative arts major, created the original poster, using Stuart’s artwork, for the 24^th Annual Student Juried Art Exhibition. “I decided on Ashleigh’s piece because it won the Student Choice award last year,” Molle said. “Because the piece is in black and white, I wanted to add some color to grab your attention, but not distract from the artwork. I was really excited to be able to work on the poster and I love that it’s being used to promote the exhibition.”

This exhibit will showcase 34 original works of art created by Stetson students, in assorted art media including paintings, ceramics, sculptures, photography, audio and other media.

The final selections were chosen by Gary Monroe, exhibition judge and renowned author and documentary photographer, from the works of 100 Stetson students from all undergraduate class years, ranging from first-year students to seniors, regardless of major. “One special aspect of the show is that all students, regardless of major are invited to participate,” Molle said. “In that sense this exhibit has a unifying factor across campus.”

Monroe is a faculty member in Daytona State College’s Southeast Center for Photographic Studies. He has received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, Florida Department of State’s Division of Cultural Affairs, Florida Humanities Council, and the Fulbright Foundation to support his photography.

“It’s really exciting to have work displayed in the gallery,” said Molle. “I’ve actually had work displayed in all the student shows since my freshman year. But, I definitely feel that my work in the show this year shows my growth as an artist and I’m very proud of it.”

Sponsors for the student art exhibition include Robert and Li Hung Catron, DeLand Bakery and Natural Food Market, Express Printing, Florida Clay Art Company, Richard & Lilis George, Ann West Hall Endowment, Katharine S. Hansen, Papa John’s Pizza/DeLand, Paul, Elkind, & Branz, P.A., Publix Super Markets (Corp.), Speedway Custom Photo Lab and Charlene Thomas.

The following is the list of the Stetson students whose works were accepted into the Undergraduate Juried Art Exhibition:

Ian McNabb, Danielle Grisham, Margo Magno, Justin Baumann, Eliza Colmes, Erin McCollum, Michael Johnpoll, Samantha Valdez, Kim Ferguson, Megan Molle, Gisela Fernandez, Samantha Valdez, Lennen Ingram, Rachel Mathes, Venezha Noriega, Maura Martin and Ashleigh Stuart.

Gallery hours at Stetson’s Hand Art Center: Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; closed on weekends and university holidays. For more information about Stetson’s Undergraduate Juried Art Exhibition, contact Tonya Curran, director of the Hand Art Center at Stetson at [email protected], or call (386) 822-7270.

by Maurie Murray

Reasons to Support the Arts!

• Improved academic performance – Students with an education rich in the arts have higher GPAs and standardized test scores, lower drop-out rates, and even better attitudes about community service.
• Arts are an industry – Nonprofit arts organizations generate $135 billion in economic activity annually, supporting 4.1 million jobs and generating $22.3 billion in government revenue.
• Arts are good for local merchants – The typical arts attendee spends $24.60 per person, per event, not including the cost of admission, on items such as meals and parking.
• Building the 21st Century workforce – Creativity is among the top 5 applied skills sought by business leaders—with 72 percent saying creativity is of high importance when hiring. The biggest creativity indicator? A college arts degree.
• Creative Industries – The Creative Industries are arts businesses that range from nonprofit museums, symphonies, and theaters to for-profit film, architecture, and design companies. There are 905,689 businesses in the U.S. involved in the creation or distribution of the arts.

(Taken from Americans for the Arts “10 reasons to Support the Arts in 2013.” blog.artsusa.org/2013/04/08/10-reasons-to-support-the-arts-in-2013/)