USD art students on display at Stilwell Student Awards Exhibit
Sponsored by University Art Galleries and the USD Department of Art, the annual juried student art show recognizes artistic talent and creative work from USD students on display in the John A. Day Gallery of the Warren M. Lee Center for the Fine Arts.
A public reception and awards ceremony is scheduled for Feb. 5 from 7 to 9 p.m. Winners in several art categories will be announced, including the Best of Show, Faculty Award, Art Department Chair’s Award, Gallery Director’s Award, College of Fine Arts Dean’s Award and the Gladys Stilwell Freshman/Sophomore Award. Juror for this year’s exhibit is Fred Hagstom, who received his M.F.A. from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and his B.A. from Hamline University. Hagstom is professor of art at Carleton College in Northfield, Minn., where he specializes in printmaking. The ceremony, which is free of charge, is open to the public.
According to Cory Knedler, chair of the USD Department of Art, USD students take the Stilwell Show “very seriously” as the annual student exhibition is a time of celebration of their work. “The annual Stilwell Student Awards Exhibition, supported by an endowment established in l987, honors Wilber Stilwell’s commitment to art education and his spirit continues to inspire USD art majors,” Knedler said.
The exhibit is named for former chair and professor of art Wilber Stilwell and his wife, Gladys and the Stilwell family, who continue to provide support for the exhibition. Stilwell, who joined the USD faculty immediately after receiving his master’s degree from the University of Iowa in 1941, served on the department of art faculty at The U for 32 years and as department chair for 26 years.
The John A. Day Gallery in the Warren M. Lee Center for the Fine Arts is open free of charge to the public from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and from 1 to 5 p.m. on weekends. Tours and special showings during non-public hours are available upon request. For more information about this exhibition, please contact the University Art Galleries Director Eddie Welch at (605) 677-3177 or [email protected] or Knedler at [email protected].