BRIDGEWATER, Va. – The hum of quiet conversation drifts through the Beverly Perdue Art Gallery as students stand in front of a variety of artistic pieces. One student pauses at a detailed architectural model. Across the room, a series of illustrated sharks draws in another crowd. For many of these artists, this moment, displaying their work in Bridgewater College’s juried student exhibition, marks the beginning of sharing their work beyond the classroom.
According to Bridgewater’s website, the juried student show is designed to showcase student creativity beyond the classroom. In addition, the show reflects how students develop confidence, credibility and professional experience through exhibiting their work.
The show runs from Monday, March 23, through Friday, April 10 and is open to the public with free admission.
Students learn from the juried process
“Just the idea of putting their work out there for someone else to select it or not select it, or just to put it out in public in general, can be kind of a hurdle, something that maybe there’s some hesitancy about,” Professor of Art Scott Jost said.
According to research done by Coco Art Gallery, juried exhibitions provide credibility and exposure, because work is evaluated by experienced professionals rather than instructors alone. This can make the experience more meaningful but also more intimidating.
“For students that have works selected, especially for the majors, this can be a line on an emerging artist resume, because it’s an actual juried show where an arts expert, but not from the faculty, comes in to make those selections,” Jost said.
Each year, the exhibition is judged by a different juror, which means the final selection can vary significantly.
“It’s interesting to see what the juror chooses,” Jost said. “This juror was extremely selective.”
This year, the exhibition was juried by Jessica Martinkosky, Professor of Fine Art at Blue Ridge Community College.
Show highlights variety of student artwork
Bridgewater’s juried show creates a diverse collection of work that reflects different academic perspectives.
Senior Maria Gavriilidou, a digital media arts major, submitted a piece based on her honors research.
“I actually did research on the Greek healthcare system,” Gavriilidou said. “So, I basically wanted to provide a solution to build accessible and sustainable ER clinics throughout Greece, because we’re lacking in facilities.”
Her project included interviews, site visits and design planning coming together in a 3D model of a clinic structure.
Gavriilidou said this was her first time submitting to a juried show and that having her work accepted was both surprising and rewarding. Gavriilidou also emphasized the importance of including both art and non-art majors in the exhibition.
“I think it’s quite interesting because you can see a variation of perspectives. Obviously, every single one of us is thinking in a very different way, but by our work, I think you can actually see it,” Gavriilidou said.
For students who participate multiple times, the exhibition becomes a way to track growth and better understand artistic standards.
Valeria Laverde Martinez, a digital media arts major, has had works selected for the exhibition for three consecutive years, experimenting with different mediums each time.
“I’ve always submitted something and all three years I’ve made different media,” Martinez said. “My first year was drawing, second year photography, and this year I did graphic design illustration.”
Her most recent submission featured hand-drawn shark illustrations, later digitized and developed into posters.
“I wanted to highlight and spotlight sharks that are not super ordinary and have their own little special aspect to them,” Martinez said.
She said, through repeated submissions she gained a better understanding of both her own work and the exhibition itself.
“I feel like it gives me a little more sense of what I can do as an artist, but also what can be in the exhibition,” Martinez said. “Because it’s not only pictures, it’s not only photographs, it’s not only drawings, it’s a little bit of everything. It’s very nice to see that.”
RedDot Blog, a blog dedicated to the business side of art, explains that this type of reflection is a key benefit of juried shows, helping artists better understand what resonates with jurors and audiences.
For Gavriilidou, Martinez and others, the experience encourages them to think critically about their work while also gaining recognition for their efforts.
“It’s always very nice to have this opportunity, especially because as an art major, it gives you the opportunity to see the art that can get chosen versus what can’t,” Martinez said.
For those interested in visiting the gallery, exhibition information can be found here.
