News
Students' works accepted in competitive regional art competition
March 17, 2017
After dedicating multiple hours to their craft, students Betsy Vollmar and Catie Brandt received great recognition for their creative endeavors.
The pair was recently accepted into the 2017 West Michigan Art Competition in Lowell, MI. This is a competitive opportunity for local artists to show case their work sponsored by LowellArts. Located in Lowell, MI (about 20 miles east of Grand Rapids), LowellArts is a non-profit organization committed to promote and support the regional art community for over 34 years.
"LowellArts has served the greater Lowell community the last 34 years as an “instigator” for helping to make the arts happen. We honor the creativity of our community artists by supporting them as business partners to publicly showcase, present, and produce their art." as stated on their website.
In this year's competition, a record 421 pieces were submitted by 237 artists. Nichole Maury — Associate Professor in the Print Media Area and Curator of the University Print Collection of the Gwen Frostic School of Art at Western Michigan University — was the juror who chose the 182 works in the exhibit. "The artwork that Nichole Maury selected is of very high quality, and represents a very diverse range in styles, subject matter, and media.", as said by the organization website.
Betsy Vollmar is a student in the Ceramics program and is currently working on her BFA. Catie Brandt is also a BFA student at GVSU, pursuing an education in painting. Their works, a vase and an oil painting, will be on display at the LowellArts Gallery (223 W Main St, Lowell, MI 49331) from March 4 to April 15.
Dissemination of the work is an essential component in a successful career as an artist. It is a chance to have their work seen by gallerists and the community at large, paving the way to future professional opportunities. The department of Art and Design is proud of Vollmar and Brandt's accomplishments. This outside recognition indicates the high-caliber education provided to students and their solid preparation for life after graduation.