Music and art majors at the University of North Dakota will spend most of their days at the Hughes Fine Arts Center. The center hosts various events throughout the year, from hosting concerts in the Josephine Campbell Recital Hall to selling student-made ceramics just inside the main entrance. However, one of the most common events at the Hughes Fine Arts Center is the art exhibitions.  

A student-led art exhibition takes place annually in the Colonel Eugene E. Myers Art Gallery within the building. Here, undergraduate and graduate students submit their art, and a juror is appointed to decide what pieces are given awards. This year, twelve pieces were submitted, and eight awards were given.   

Art in this year’s gallery includes sculptures, 3D- printing, painting, photography, and more. One piece, by graduate student Elizabeth DeForest, won First Place Graduate. The piece is called “Spots” and is “a transfer drawing and collage on Mulberry paper.” DeForest has had her artwork appear in installations that have been set up in the Memorial Union’s first floor art gallery as well. Two international students from Ghana submitted their artwork, and a handful of non-art majors have also participated in this year’s exhibition. Even Dakota Student photographer, Aspen Jewkes, has a photograph displayed in the art gallery.   

In January, the art gallery in the Hughes Fine Arts Center hosted a Juried High School Art Competition and Exhibit. February featured Elaine Henry’s “50 Bowls, 50 States, 50 Woodfires” display. Now, until April 10, we will see the student-led exhibition with graduate and undergraduate work.   

Later, from April 15 to April 18, students Jo Moya and Shelby McLachlan will be leading the B.F.A. Exhibition. The M.F.A. Exhibition will be April 22 through 25 and led by student Louis Albertson. Finally, Chelsey Newton and Juliann Lukach will lead the semester’s Residency Exhibition from April 29 to May 10, finishing off the year.   

The student-led exhibition is not necessarily anything new; it has been taking place for years now. However, each year brings in new works from a variety of artists, continuously drawing attention to the skill and careful craft of UND’s student body. The variety of works highlights the multitude of artistic opportunities that students on campus here have as well. From graphic design to jewelry making, UND’s School of Art & Design has something for everyone.   

If you are looking for more information regarding this year’s student exhibition, you can reach out to Art & Design Professor Todd Hebert at [email protected], who has been coordinating the gallery. For more information regarding past and future exhibitions at the Hughes Fine Arts Center or the UND School of Art & Design, visit www.arts-sciences.und.edu/academics/art-design. 

Ava Stockstad is a Dakota Student General Reporter. She can be reached at [email protected].