Al Young Art Show 2018 Celebrates Student Work

by Elise Goitia '18

Come spring, the Ford Center for Fine Arts and the Whitcomb Art Center showcase more than 200 works of art by Knox artists—seven-foot-tall oil paintings, brightly-colored prints, and three-dimensional wall sculptures—for one culminating event: the Al Young Art Show.

The annual show is assembled by faculty and students and is the only juried art show at Knox College. This year, New York critic and painter John Zinsser acted as juror for the show.

Post-baccalaureate Kristina Mengis '17 said that the Al Young Art Show exists to give students the inclusive opportunity to have their work celebrated and supported by fellow classmates and faculty.

"The art show makes me confident in my own work," she said. "Having the opportunity to say I've been in something like this, and have helped put something like this together, is so cool."

Any student who has taken an art course in the preceding school year is eligible to submit their work, with more than $3,000 in prizes awarded to artists in 12 categories. Each winner receives $250, with the exception of the Al Young Purchase Award. This award, which adds one exceptional work to the Knox collection, earns the artist $500.

Mengis, who helped hang up, place, and number each work for the show, added that the "openness" of the event is one of its most significant parts.

"I think it's really great for students to say they've gotten their art in a show, and they've also had it seen by an artist," she added. "Just having the opportunity to win awards is cool, but it's really exciting that anybody who's taken a class in the art department can submit."

Lila Johnson '19 won the Al Young Award in ceramics. Her project, a pair of lungs with a tree growing out of them, had to be divided into ten separate pieces to fit in the firing kiln.

"This show allows people up who don't identify as artists to get some recognition for their work," she said. "It was a big deal to me to win, but in some ways, it was an even bigger deal to get an honorable mention for my drawing. I don't see drawing as my strong suit, and that kind of experience, for students, is really helpful."

Sophia Venters-Seffic '21 entered their work into the show for the first time. They looked forward to the opportunity to have an outside artist judge their work and give a talk.

"I think it's inspiring that we have such a tight-knit community in the art program." they said. "At a bigger college, having every student put up their art wouldn't be a thing. You'd have more restrictions."

"It's really beautiful that we're able to do this," they added. "As long as I keep taking art classes, I'll keep submitting."