Feeney received the top design award with a photography entry titled, "Even honest men lie."

"I was very surprised the piece went that far because it was in the art building when the tornado came through and I entered the piece as it was at the spur of the moment," Feeney said.

Richardson received the top fiber arts award with a woven wall hanging entry titled, "English Balance."

"I took the class for fun and relaxation and was surprised to find out that I received an award," Richardson said.

The Mississippi Collegiate Art Competition is an annual juried art exhibition open to all undergraduate and graduate students attending four-year institutions within the state of Mississippi.

Larry Feeney, professor of art at MUW and father of the winning sisters said, "It is an element of fate that both sisters received awards. Both works were time consuming, remarkable, careful and ambitious pieces. It's irony that two sisters from the same institution won awards in this competition within the same year. I am proud of my daughters winning, and I realize this is a remarkable and unique event."

The W has participated in the event since the 1960s. The W's coordinator for the competition is professor of art Tom Nawrocki since 1990.

"Both award-winning works were created in my classes and are fine examples of the quality of art produced at MUW. The accepted works clearly dominated the competition in scale, complexity and maturity of image. I am extremely proud of our student artists," Nawrocki said.

Students from MUW that were accepted into the competition were Marian Dunser, Louis Mutch, Julie Curto, Katherine Feeney, Elizabeth Ladner, Phyllis Moore, Ruth Romanowski, Cary Haycox, Joyce McCord, Elizabeth Feeney Richardson, Armon McDill, Sara McTaggert, Missy Chandler and Jennifer Karrh.

There was a total of 20 works that were accepted among the 14 W students.

Other schools participating were Belhaven, Delta State University, Jackson State University, Millsaps, Mississippi College, Mississippi State University, University of Mississippi, William Carey College on the coast and University of Southern Mississippi.