BOONE—The Smith Gallery at Appalachian State University presents Art Expo 2015, an annual juried student exhibition and arts competition for Appalachian students. The exhibition will be on view from Feb. 24 through March 28 at the gallery in the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts.

The exhibition is organized by the Smith Gallery and juried by Mary Anne Redding, curator at the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts on campus.

Works exhibited in Art Expo 2015 were selected from hundreds of entries made by current students at Appalachian. Redding choose works of various media including clay, drawing, fibers, metals and jewelry, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, graphic design and video.

“Being new to Appalachian, I am honored to jury this year’s Art Expo,” Redding said. “Reviewing the diversity of artwork that students submitted was a great introduction to the entire Department of Art. It’s encouraging to see art students engaging with challenging ideas and producing well-executed pieces at such early stages in their careers. The quality of the artwork supports the reputation of the faculty teaching in the art department and the distinction of the students who come to Boone to pursue their studies in and passion for the visual arts.”

Visitors to the gallery are invited to vote for their favorite work throughout the duration of the exhibition to determine the People’s Choice Award. Awards and purchases made for Plemmons Student Union’s Appalachian Permanent Collection will be announced at a reception and awards ceremony March 20 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the gallery. The event is free and open to all. The public is invited to honor the student artists, celebrate with the award winners and recognize Department of Art students receiving scholarships given for their achievements.

Students whose work is on exhibit are: Sam Anderson, Samantha Anderson, Josh Bannen, Meg Becker, Patrick Bidwell, Rachel Bowles, Paige Brown, Renee Cloud, Jeni Conklin, Lauren Dockery, Miles Elliott, David Jones, Elliot Keeley, Kenzie Knox, Amelia Kowaleski, Liz Lasine, Chrisopher Lin, Morgan Lochbihler, John Mann, Chelsea Marqueda, Andrew Merritt, Victor Moore, Danielle Mulvihill, Lacy Nance, Ben Osborne, Nick Osetek, Freestone Peach, Amanda Parish, Christine Perry, Rebecca Pitocco, Stephen Rabey, Allison Rodrigue, Lauren Roquemore, Alissa Sauter, Erina Schultz, Zachary Scott, William Seal, Charles Shuford, Ryan Spiess, Kathryn Sullivan, Eric Wagy, Spenser Williams and J.S. Wright.

All Art Expo 2015 design materials were created by graphic design major Katie Johnson.

About the Juror

Mary Anne Redding is the curator at the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts at Appalachian State University. Most recently, she was curator of the Marion Center for Photographic Arts and chair of the photography department at Santa Fe University of Art & Design. She was the curator of photography for the Palace of the Governors/New Mexico History Museum from March 2007- December 2011. Redding has more than 25 years of experience working as a curator, archivist, librarian, educator and arts administrator.

About the Smith Gallery

The Smith Gallery is located in the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts at 733 Rivers Street on the Appalachian State University campus. Admission is free for all events and programs. Hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and during special events. For more information, call 828-262-7338 or visit http://art.appstate.edu/cjs. Also visit http://www.facebook.com/smithgalleryappstate.

About Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, affordable education for all. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.

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