The 2017 National Juried Painting Exhibition has been displayed in the George Hurst Museum of Art since August 31. The exhibition displays different forms of artwork of varied painting mediums ranging from oil to pastel and airbrushed fresco with styles such as hyper- realism, extreme sizes and landscapes. Gallery Director Traci Stover set up the show.
The opening reception was held on August 31 and the show will be taken down on Friday, September 29. The awards ceremony was held on Friday, September 22 at 6 p.m.
Prior to the ceremony, juror Peter Van Dyck gave a lecture in the Liberal Arts Building to gathering art students, professors and visiting painters. Almost 75 students and faculty attended.
Van Dyck studied in Florence, Italy at The Florence Academy of Art from 1998-2002 after studying at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut from 1997-1998. He also taught as an instructor at The Florence Academy of Art from 2000-2002 while he was a student there. From 2009-2010, he was a guest instructor at Gage Academy in Seattle, Washington. Van Dyck later went on to teach at the Pennsylvania Academy of Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 2003 and later gained the title of assistant professor in 2011. He has been featured in eight publications for his paintings.
“When I’m painting, I don’t try to like balance those things; I try to just let them have a war on the canvas,” said Van Dyck. “I’ll collect like huge areas of tone and color together and then gradually start to distinguish them more from one another.”
Van Dyck’s lecture included slides of his work and explanations on how he progressed in his career and painting development. It lasted about an hour and served as an effective source for the students to learn from.
“I just found it interesting to see a different perspective on what art is from a new person,” said senior painting and drawing major Alex Townsend. “While I didn’t agree with all of his methods and views on painting, I still respect the diversity in his style.”
Neil Callander won third place for his piece “Early Spring Window,” taking home $200. Michael Nichols won second place for his trio of tonal panels “Slur,” “Blear” and “Blume,” receiving $300. Allan Anderson won first place for his landscape “Red Roof in New Brookland,” gaining $500.
The gallery will put up a new exhibit of The Do Good Fund: A Celebration of Southern Photography on October 12 and will host a lecture from William Ferris is the Gonzales Auditorium in the Liberal Arts Building room 108. The reception will follow the lecture at 7 p.m.
The Museum of Art is free and open to the public Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
