UK Student Artists Earn $10,000 in Foundations Scholarships
LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 29, 2020) — Some of University of Kentucky’s newest art students were recognized for their talents during the virtual 11th annual Foundations Show presented online by the Bolivar Art Gallery. The exhibition showcases the work of 132 UK artists, featuring many pieces by artists who have never been exhibited before. This year’s online event also recognized some of the best student work with scholarships totaling $10,000.
Foundations is a first-year experience for art studio, art education and digital media design majors in the School of Art and Visual Studies. As part of this program, students learn many methods of art making and gain the introductory knowledge of how to add a personal voice to their pieces.
The winners and their work selected by jurors and University of West Georgia Associate Professors Casey May McGuire and Mark Shoon were:
- “Science Friction” by Elijah Hanson, a digital media design freshman from Louisville, Kentucky, took home the first-place scholarship and a $3,500 grand prize;
- “Colorism vs. The American Dream” by Jayda Johnson, an art studio freshman from Louisville, received the second-place scholarship and a $2,000 prize;
- “Nostalgia” by Abbey Purcell, a digital media design sophomore from Avon, Ohio, won the Merit Award for Digital Art and a $900 prize;
- “Secret Consumption” by Makayla Thomas, an art studio and English freshman from Corbin, Kentucky, won the Merit Award for Two-Dimensional Surface and a $900 prize;
- “Burden” by Mariah Rogers, an art education sophomore from Stanton, Kentucky, won the Merit Award for Three-Dimensional Form and a $900 prize;
- “Symptoms” by Louis Dercqu, a digital media design junior from Rineyville, Kentucky, won the Merit Award for Lens Art and a $900 prize; and
- “Coming Out: A Journey Down to Earth” by Andrew Rogers, a digital media design sophomore from Louisville, won the Merit Award for Drawing and a $900 prize.
To see these winning pieces and the entire Foundations Show, visit https://padlet.com/bolivarartgallery/gtee532nnepzpq6h.
The exhibition also includes “The Great Moon Hoax”, a collaborative piece by McGuire and Schoon. The work merges science and art by exploring the complicated relationships between observation, representation and understanding.
Students participating in this virtual exhibition has worked extremely hard to complete their work for the academic term, each post for a work of art has a detailed description that explains the motivation for creating the piece and the meaning behind it. SAVS students, faculty and staff hope the public will enjoy viewing their art while healthy at home.
The UK School of Art and Visual Studies, part of the College of Fine Arts, offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in the fields of art studio, art history and visual studies, art education, curatorial studies and digital media design.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.
In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.