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Art + Design celebrates student work with 50th Annual Juried Student Exhibit

(Posted April 2, 2018)

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. –The Austin Peay State University Department of Art + Design is celebrating the end of the 2017-18 academic year with the 50th Annual Juried Student Exhibition. The professionally juried exhibition opened in The New Gallery on April 2 and runs through April 25. There will be a reception and awards ceremony, which is free and open to the public, from 5-7 p.m. on April 25.

“I consider it an honor and privilege to have been asked to select work for this year’s 50th Annual Student Juried Art Exhibition,” artist Yvette Cummings said. “The difficult but enjoyable task of selection that falls to any juror was amplified by both the high quality and large number of the pieces submitted.

“This year’s exhibition saw 306 submissions with 47 of those selected. Those works selected represent, to a certain extent, the biases of the juror. As an educator and artist myself, I am faced with the challenges of evaluating artwork from a broad spectrum of artists. I use my curatorial experience to select the best examples of artworks submitted. Those exceptional objects that demonstrate sincerity, ambition and uniqueness were singled out for special recognition.”

Cummings received her Master’s of Fine Arts degree at the University of Cincinnati’s School of Design, Art, Architecture, and Planning. While still enrolled at DAAP, she was director of the 810 Gallery, interned at the Contemporary Art Center of Cincinnati, and was the recipient of the Wolfstien Travel Fellowship to Spain.  Following her graduate work, Cummings became an instructor for the University of South Carolina Department of Art.

“The diverse works on display represent a broad set of styles and themes, but share the common element of being the best examples of those particular media,” she said. “I was excited to be able to see challenging content and exceptional craft throughout the submissions. Even more gratifying is how many artists are exploring the difficult terrain of social issues and challenging traditional models of representation and beauty. Together, these works encompass the finest impulses in the world of art.”

 Cummings was awarded the Stephen J. Dalton Teacher of the year from USC University in 2011. She is currently a Teaching Associate at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, South Carolina. Her work has been exhibited in multiple group and solo exhibitions throughout the South and Midwest. Her work can be found in both public and private collections and has been featured in the 701 Center for Contemporary Art 2015 South Carolina Biennial in Columbia, as well as Contemporary South at Visual Art Exchange in Raleigh, North Carolina. Cummings was most recently the recipient of the 701 CCA Prize 2016 for South Carolina artists under 40. She currently resides in Conway, South Carolina, where she devotes her time to her studio work, teaching and family.  

The exhibition is open from April 2 – April 25, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Join the Department of Art + Design in recognizing the achievements of its students during the reception and awards night on April 25. Beginning at 5:30 p.m., the department will announce the award winners for the juried student exhibition, CECA Purchase Award winners and Summer Research Award recipients. The closing event will be held in The New Gallery.

For more information on this exhibition, contact Michael Dickins, gallery director, at dickinsm@apsu.edu.