In a fierce art competition to get their art exhibited at the Undergraduate Juried Exhibition in Seigfred Hall, there were more than 200 art pieces submitted by undergraduate students to be juried.
However, only about 40 art pieces were chosen to be displayed by the School of Art + Design.
Alayna Coverly, a senior studying studio art-painting and drawing, said she has participated in the exhibition since her sophomore year at Ohio University. This year, Coverly exhibited two oil painting pieces titled "Straining for a Purpose."
Each piece took her more than a month to create, she said.
“The technique I use, it takes 25 layers to make the darkest (shade) on it so it took a while,” Coverly said.
Being able to have their art featured in the gallery was an honor that selected undergraduate students were able to achieve, Courtney Kessel, the director of OU’s art galleries, said.
“To be selected in a juried exhibition, that’s one step up than just being in a show,” Kessel said. “Not everybody gets in.”
According to Kessel, this year’s undergraduate gallery was juried by artist and curator, Astria Suparak.
“(Suparak) did a really good job in selecting an interesting body of work,” Kessel said. “It seems very mature (and) has a diverse representation of mediums.”
Although Seigfred Hall’s exhibition space is often used for graduate students and visiting artists, the undergraduate juried exhibition offers students a chance to exhibit their work, Autumn Johnson, a junior studying studio art-painting and drawing, said.
“Seigfred is one of the only ways (on campus) to have your work viewed through the university in a gallery setting,” Johnson said. “Having your work (exhibited) in Seigfred is really nice.”
Johnson, who uses they/them pronouns, said they used a method called "etching" for their art titled "Sexual Cannibalism."
The Undergraduate Juried Exhibition will be on display until Dec. 3 and has open gallery hours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Mondays through Saturdays and from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursdays.
“It’s really nice to see what the exhibition has every year,” Coverly said. “Everyone does really, really dynamic things and it’s really interesting.”
