FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb. 25, 2011
Contact: Anika Mitchell Perkins
(662) 329-7124
aperkins@pa.muw.edu

MUW students garner awards at Mississippi Collegiate Art Exhibition

COLUMBUS, Miss. – More than a dozen awards were presented at the Mississippi Collegiate Art Exhibition held at Mississippi University for Women.

Juror Heather Deyling, who teaches foundation studies at Savannah College of Art and Design, reviewed more than 1,000 entries.

“I was impressed with the quality of work. It was difficult to nail it down from 1,100 to 200. It was even more difficult to choose the award winners.”

MUW students who garnered awards in the media category were Stephen Philips for his ceramics entry titled “Blossoms,” Shirley Boudreaux for her fiber arts piece titled “Andromeda” and Leslie Crunkilton for her photography titled “Screen Door.”

Brandi Tollett received an Award for Excellence for her artwork titled “Terra, Aqua, Ignis.”

This was MUW’s first year to host the competition.

Robert Gibson, chair of the Department of Art and Design,” said, “I think we did an honorable job of hosting for the first time. We look forward to next year’s event.”

He attributed much of the success to the juror as well as the masterful coordination of Alex Stelioes-Wills, gallery director.

Stelioes-Wills added that the show was “fantastic” and made possible through a team effort.

He also encouraged the community to visit the exhibition.

“This is a great show for people to see. Some of these artists are the ones who will be  Mississippi artists that we hear about 10 to 20 years from now.”

The exhibit will be on display through March 17 in the department’s Eugenia Summer Gallery each day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. It is free and open to the public.