By: Stephanie Turaj
Posted In: News
Photo credit: Stephanie Turaj
One of the many entries in the Rhode Island Scholastic Awards and Exhibit.
Creativity is in the air at The University Gallery, located in the Antone Center. Enter the gallery to find an artistic show of portraits, the undersea, buildings, fashion and animals. But that’s just the beginning; there are two hundred works of art on display that overflow into the hallway.
The gallery features student artwork from 49 local high schools, as part of the Rhode Island Scholastic Awards and Exhibit. The awards are sponsored each year by the Rhode Island Art Education Association (RIAEA). The gallery will showcase the works of art from Jan. 24, 2010 to Feb. 12, 2010. The awards ceremony was held Jan. 24, 2010 in the Bazarsky Lecture Hall. The winners will continue to compete in a national competition. Artists and curators judged the entries. A panel of three judges worked to determine the winners of each area. Each area receives about six to seven “gold key” awards. Winners were selected mostly for the work’s quality and originality, said Gerald Perrino, an assistant professor in the art department. “The show is one of the strongest I’ve seen in all my time as a judge,” said Perrino in an e-mail. He has judged this event several times over the past 15 years. Perrino judged this year’s portfolios, where seniors show eight pieces and are judged for their entire portfolio of work. Perrino explained that in past contests there were just enough portfolios to award the 12 Gold Key Awards. This year’s group was so talented that three times the awards could have been given. “While this made the judging excruciatingly difficult, it was also pleasing to see so much talent being produced by young Rhode Island artists,” said Perrino. He explained that artwork which only copies a photograph is frowned upon, because it lacks originality. But with drawings of fish trapped in telephone booths, girls trapped in spider webs and a sculpture model of a circus, it doesn’t seem like this was a problem. Meagan Meskill, a sophomore, said that her favorite painting was “Sorrow,” a painting by a Portsmouth Abby School student, Lauren Brodeur. The painting featured the body of a girl surrounded by water, and was painted only in shades of grey. “You kind of just get lost in it,” said Meskill. Additionally, there were workshops taught by Perrino on Saturday Jan. 24. The workshops include life drawing and cross hachure technique. “Next year we hope to expand the offerings for the workshops, and to include art teachers as participants,” said Perrino. Previously, Rhode Island College hosted the judging and exhibition of the works. “The RIAEA was so impressed, that we are already planning to host this for at least the next couple of years,” said Perrino.
