The Coburn Art Gallery has just marked the opening of it’s annual Juried Student Art and Design Exhibition that will be on display until March 29. An opening reception for the gallery was held on March 14 to recognize the students whose pieces were chosen and announce the winners of the various awards.

Every year, the art department chooses an outside juror to select the pieces that will be displayed at the exhibit. This year, longtime AU art department faculty member Larry Schiemann was chosen to select which of the entries would make it into the gallery.

According to Cynthia Petry, director of the Coburn Gallery, there were 180 entries and 98 of them were chosen to be put on display.

“The exhibit is wholly up to the juror. When they come in they select the work. I don’t guide them in any way. We encourage all of our studio art areas to have students submit work,” Petry said. “They’re not required to and this year we probably had the most sculptures and drawings that we’ve had in the last couple of years.”

Submissions were accepted from any student that took an art class at AU this school year.

“It’s part of learning about becoming a professional artist,” Petry said. “They have to mat, frame, and prepare their works the same way they will once they graduate so it’s a good way to prepare them for the real world.”

At the opening reception, various awards were given to students for the pieces that they created. Donations from Dr. Wendy and Scott Schaller, Dr. Dawn Weber, AU Permanent Art Collection and other private donors allowed for $550 in awards to be given out.

Sophomore Hannah Osborn was the recipient of both the Bernini Award and the AU Permanent Collection Award.

The two pieces that Osborn won awards for are the only two that she has up in the gallery.

“It makes me really excited because I’ve never really had anything like this before,” Osborn said.

She also describes how personal she is with her art.

“I take a lot of inspiration out of my life and the different things I’ve been through,” Osborn said. “What’s a part of my journey and who’s a part of it. So that’s where the inspiration comes from.”

To see all of the art currently on display in this exhibit, the Coburn Gallery is open Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.

For any questions regarding the gallery or any upcoming exhibits, please call 419-289-5652 or email [email protected].