by Kailey Kivett

Over 600 works of art were submitted to be placed in VSU’s Fine Arts Gallery for an all media competition this year. The works were created by artists from all across the country and included colored pencil drawings, sculptures, oil paintings, collages, photographs and much more.

On Jan. 20, an opening reception and awards ceremony was held. Valdosta National 2015 judge Susan Welsh narrowed the collection down to 55 works of art from 34 artists and awarded ribbons to the top four pieces. Welsh, the executive director of The Museum of Arts and Sciences in Macon, Georgia, donated her honorarium to the artists, which increased the total of the awards to $1900.

When asked about his pieces, Noah Brock from Tallahassee, Florida explained that his work is based in mathematics to describe the world around us.

“I am drawn to using metal because of its versatility and strength,” Brock said. Apparently his approach to art succeeded, because his piece, “Vitruvian Reflexion,” took first place.

Meaghan Gates from New Bedford, Massachusetts followed in second place with her work entitled “Release.” Third place went to Mimi Silver from Atlanta for her painting “Legacy.” Fourth place was given to Kyle Hicks from Canton, Georgia, for his piece called “Pluse-Width Modulated #1.”

The exhibition is sponsored by Citizen’s Community Bank and can be found in the Fine Arts Gallery until Feb. 6.