[080] MTSU Hosts Inaugural Juried Art Show For Students Beginning Sept. 22

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sept. 9, 2009
CONTACT: Eric V. Snyder, 615-898-5653

MTSU HOSTS INAUGURAL JURIED ART SHOW FOR STUDENTS BEGINNING SEPT. 22
Public Invited to Attend Free Exhibit & Sept. 24 Artists’ Reception and Awards

(MURFREESBORO)—The MTSU art department and its Student Art Alliance will team to present their first-ever joint exhibition featuring the juried work of MTSU students.
The works will be on display Sept. 22 through Oct. 1 in the Todd Art Gallery on the MTSU campus. Additionally, there will be a free and open reception for participating artists, as well as an awards ceremony, 4-5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24, in the gallery area.
The SAA is an organization with membership made up of art majors and interested students. The mission of its membership is to organize events that promote the making and understanding of art’s role in the academic culture and community at large. John Donovan, SAA faculty adviser and assistant professor of art at MTSU, said the juried show for students is an important event for the young artists.
“This show gives MTSU students the opportunity to engage in the process of submitting and showing their work in a public space, as well as competing with other artists for awards,” Donovan said. “This process is an essential component to the professional practice of being an artist and is a valuable experience for our students.” Participation in the juried show is open to all Department of Art majors, SAA members and interested MTSU students.
Brent Oglesbee, chairman of the art department at Western Kentucky University at Bowling Green, will serve as the awards juror. He currently teaches sculpture, foundations and art appreciation and is a two-time recipient of the Al Smith Award, an individual fellowship award chosen by the Kentucky Arts Council. He also has been involved in numerous juried, small-group and invited solo exhibitions throughout the United States.
• Gallery Hours: The Todd Art Gallery’s regular hours are 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, closing only on state and university holidays. For more information or directions to the campus gallery, please call Eric Snyder, gallery curator, at 615-898-5653.