51 st Annual Student Art Show and Merit Scholar Exhibition April 18–May 27, 2023
April 18–May 27, 2023 51 st Annual Student Art Show and Merit Scholar Exhibition
The original Cleveland State University Art Gallery opened in 1975 in CSU’s Art Building at 2307 Chester Ave., where it operated for 36 years. In 2011, the Art Building was demolished to make way for student housing and the Department of Art and Design relocated to the Playhouse Square arts district. In 2012, the Art Gallery moved to its current location on Euclid Avenue in Playhouse Square and was renamed The Galleries at CSU.
Over the years, The Galleries has been a vibrant hub of artistic expression, fostering creativity and promoting cultural exchange among students, faculty and the wider community. We have hosted more than 100 exhibitions, including local and international artists, faculty exhibitions, historical art shows, the biennial Robert Thürmer People’s Art Show , and annual student exhibitions such as this year’s 51st Student Art Show and Merit Scholar Exhibition.
After 11 years, this exhibition marks the final one in its current location. As we celebrate and reward the hard work of our students, we are also saying goodbye to our jewel-like gallery space in the heart of Playhouse Square. Change can be challenging, but change can be growth. CSU’s administration strongly supports the department’s gallery program and has assembled a team to identify a new gallery space to support our mission to serve our students, faculty, staff and community. CSU has pledged that we will “be back greater than we are now.”
In this period of transition, it is my pleasure to share information about a generous gift to fund the Department of Art and Design’s Haddad Art Initiative. The initiative creates a new scholarship for majors in studio art, graphic design and art history, increasing the total available scholarship funding from $40,000 to approximately $120,000 per year. This allows larger scholarships to go to more students, increasing equity and access to education for students seeking a degree from CSU in art and design. The gift also creates an art enrichment program for area high school students to build confidence, gain enthusiasm and be more prepared for college. For current students, the department is partnering with CSU’s Weston Ideation Lab to create “Every Artist is a Startup,” a workshop for art and design students to develop entrepreneurship skills. The Haddad Art Initiative also provides mentors to identify and pair art and design students with valuable internship opportunities.
Finally, I am incredibly proud of the talent, creativity and dedication showcased in these exhibitions. Thank you for joining us in this celebration of art. We look forward to continuing to nurture and inspire the artistic talents of our students in the years to come. Bravo to all of the artists and congratulations on a successful show!
Mark Slankard Interim Department Chair and Associate Professor Department of Art and Design
The Galleries at CSU is excited to present our 51st Annual Student Art Show and Merit Scholar Exhibition. For many CSU Students this juried art show is a multitude of firsts – first exposure to the world of art galleries, first public exhibition, first critique by outside judges and first art sale.
This year’s Student Art Show features 166 works by 84 student artists. We invited four art professionals to jury submissions for the exhibition – George Mauersberger, Nancy Prudic, Zack White and Connie Ozan. Their choices reflect their own professional experience, judgment and artistic taste. In addition to selecting works to be included in the show, the judges also award cash prizes for our “Best In” for the following categories: video animation, sculpture, photography, printmaking, ceramics, painting, drawing, graphic design, merit scholar and Project 60 (for students aged 60 years or older enrolled in CSU art classes as part of the Project 60 program).
The Merit Scholar Exhibition in the North Gallery features work by recipients of the Department of Art and Design Merit Scholarship. This year’s exhibiting scholars are Nico Fierro, Erin McHugh, Darci Gumins-Paulett, Elise Provident, Jakob Roberts, Clara Watkins, Jurnee Weeams and Molly Zickes. Four other scholars majoring in design – Justin Chambers, Travina Scott, Gabrielle Wise and Aminah Wyatt – chose to complete an independent study outside of a gallery setting.
Kendall C. Christian Director
The Galleries at CSU
Graphic design has been something that I have adored since high school. I can remember stepping into my second quarter in a photography class and being told that we were migrating next door to be at the computer lab with Adobe software, sitting down and learning – completely enraptured – how to edit the photos we had taken the week prior. Looking back, I was bad. But we all come from somewhere, right? In addition to graphic design, I am also an English literature and creative writing major.
My art is influenced by everything I experience, and music is one of those things. The image of Hozier is composed of some of his lyrics that I find particularly profound or compelling. His music is music that I listen to on a daily basis, and it inspired me to make the poster. I also take inspiration from being an English major as well. The Vindicator article, written by Emma Smallwood, highlights the beauty of Cleveland in the summertime. Reading the article alone made me excited for the summer, so I knew I had to design it. Working with the composition is exciting and fun, and getting to make something visually interesting from just words ties together my majors and emphasizes just why I study all three.
When I am making art, I experience a unique sense of satisfaction. There is a longing in me to be creative, and I believe this is a spiritual gift that demands to be practiced and shared. My work is deeply personal and reflects where I am in life. Art enriches me. It helps me get through tough times and allows me to be more appreciative of good times. While I am concentrating on art, I see more clearly. I pay closer attention to the world and focus on the beauty (and the horror) that surrounds us, which can so easily, and too often, be ignored. Whether beautiful or horrific, I like to blend truth with imagination to create different realities. My favorite pieces combine a mixture of both because that is life. It is my hope that a piece of mine may give inspiration to someone on a similar path as me. My goal is to convey to the viewer a sense of understanding about personal struggle, and most importantly, to offer a feeling of hope that challenges can be won.
My life’s journey has taken me through some very dark places to ultimately reach a home where life is good. I have found what is important: family, faith and love. I have discovered that these are the only constants in all the changing seasons of life. This is what my recent work has been about, though usually some sign of struggle is incorporated somewhere because that is real. I want my art to reflect that. At the same time, I want it to be open to interpretation so that it can mean something personal and unique to each individual viewer.
ERIN M C HUGH
In this selection of works, I aim to convey a thematic concentration of ideas that express my struggle with femininity and selfperception, as well as showcase my recent experimentation in media, composition and scale. I have continually, throughout my development as an artist, found myself the most invested in the expression of my mental battles and torturous insecurity, which I have developed as a result of looming expectations of beauty, social relationships and success. I aim to synthesize the expression of these emotions through the gesture of figures and facial expressions of portraits, using their interaction with the composition to directly address the viewer. By juxtaposing bright, bold colors and lines with the depressive intensity of facial expression, I create contrast in the imagery that demonstrates the duality of the pain of internal mental battles that have been forced under a facade of perceived beauty.
Regarding my non-figural works, I hope to create dynamic rotational compositions through the use of negative space in my 3-D, printed and drawn pieces that carry the viewer's eye and perpetually piques their interest around the design. Using these compositional, figural and expressional elements, I use my artwork as a mode to articulate personal struggles with mental health, perception of beauty and self-acceptance that I have experienced throughout my adolescence and early adulthood, a message that can hopefully be understood by those like me, as well as a much broader audience.
I stand at the intersection of childhood and adulthood, completely and utterly lost, pretending to know one direction from another. I have so much ahead of me that sometimes I feel as though I am drowning in the uncertainty of it all. I have always used art as an avenue for self-expression, but I feel now, more than ever, that my work and I are inextricably linked. In the past year and a half, I have been introduced to the indiscriminate harshness of the real world. But in that time, I am also lucky enough to have experienced the infinite joys of growing into adulthood. Creating this body of work has been cathartic. These artworks were borne from heartbreak, disease, harassment, tears and plenty of unanswered prayers, but they also emerged from friendship, laughter and renewed strength. Both realities can exist simultaneously – harmoniously, even – and become the impetus for something better.
I draw inspiration from numerous sources when conceptualizing my body of work. As an art history student, I am constantly inspired by my academic research and writing. Thanks to the help of some incredible mentors, I have been exposed to a wealth of knowledge that has undoubtedly improved the quality of my artwork. My body of work is primarily autobiographical, but I combine biography and art historical references to raise awareness for social issues such as the degradation of women, queer people, and the environment as objects rather than independent entities with inherent value. I hope to create artwork that recognizes intersectionality and promotes the universal power of art as a conduit for social change.
All my life I had been a creative at heart, but I was never encouraged to explore it. I found myself falling for the trap of conformity, choosing the safe option, choosing what I thought was expected of me. I entered Cleveland State University studying computer science and with each passing semester, I grew increasingly dissatisfied until the COVID pandemic hit. From that point forward, I decided that every life decision I made would be 100% for myself. The first decision I made was to study graphic design and develop the creativity I had lost all those years ago.
After changing majors to a completely different field halfway through college, I felt as though I had a lot to prove in a short amount of time. I immediately got involved in AIGA and was also fortunate enough to land a position as the art director of the Vindicator Magazine. I forced myself out of my comfort zone and learned a lot through these organizations.
As I have grown as a designer, I have been breaking farther and farther from the sterility and safety that plagued me for the vast majority of my life. After all, what is the point of a rule if not to be broken?
CLARA WATKINS ARTIST STATEMENT
“A
I am currently a senior graphic design student at Cleveland State, but growing up I couldn’t have imagined this would be the path I would take. I was heavily involved in sports when I was younger but slowly became disillusioned with participating in them over time due to injury and exhaustion. Soon after I fell out of love with them, I discovered art. At first, I was unsure what I would do with my newfound interest and what direction it would pull me. Nevertheless, I’m glad it has directed me to where I am today. As I am headed towards graduation, I wanted to look within and create design work that centered around what emotions I have experienced up until this point and how that has led to where I am now.
Often design is centered around human experiences and behavior, and not solely my perspective. I feel my design process, even when creating things focused on myself, is often not linear, as design, by principle, adapts to address a need and/or an alternative perspective. I can start out with a strong concept or idea in mind, but it can easily be altered or even reimagined the more I explore and research the topic it is centered around. This leads to my work often pulling from a variety of visual styles from retro to modern to experimental in the pursuit of making the design fit the topic it is addressing.
JURNEE WEEAMS
ARTIST STATEMENT
“I am free, that’s why I am lost.” – Kafka
These works all have one question in mind: what does it mean to be free, to be bound to the things you have, to the things you think you need?
Every day we find ourselves bound to more things. We’re bound to the ones we love and the ones we need to let go. We’re bound to make irreversible decisions that can make or break us. We’re bound to be pigeonholed because of skin or gender or whatever makes us, us, on the outside. We’re bound to go places that don’t fulfill our soul, needs or goals. Bound by ridiculous clauses and unspoken regulations, old and new, unbeknownst to us before being forced to follow them.
Each piece has a certain resonance with the word “bound,” represented by their supplementing definitions. They tell a story about one individual’s journey to find healing and self-understanding, while simultaneously searching for what true freedom is. Freedom can be represented with the eye figure in these pieces. It represents your inner you, free from the restrictions of flesh, of appearances, of mortality, of all the things that hold us back from being truly free. These eye figures could also represent what it means to be bound, often taking over forms and places – their reason and truth all depends on your perspective. Though I still wonder: does freedom really exist? Is true freedom achievable? Do I even want that for myself? For the things I find myself bound to, this life I have made for myself and that has made me, the people, the places, and myself, I love.
Existentialism is the idea that our purpose in life is completely controlled by ourselves rather than outward forces. My work explores the concept of existentialism and related ideas such as the manipulation of reality, free will and questioning what is possible. I make my art as a way to express ideas that I have difficulty portraying with words. I use various media and techniques for my work, including drawing, painting, welding, woodwork and clay sculpture. With influences such as artists M.C. Escher and Alberto Giacometti, and writers like Franz Kafka, I create works of art that lead the viewer to ruminate on these aforementioned ideas.
My work also gives the viewer a glimpse into my emotions and beliefs about life. My goal is to have the viewer of my art not only question what my art means to me, but to further question the broader topics that my art is related to. I want viewers to note the different perspectives that influence their perception of my work.
Anne Rice, a gothic novelist, wrote, “Don't bend; don't water it down; don't try to make it logical; don't edit your own soul according to the fashion. Rather, follow your most intense obsessions mercilessly.”
George Mauersberger completed the foundations program at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York in 1974. He received a B.F.A. degree in drawing from Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1978, and a M.F.A. degree in painting from Ohio University, Athens, Ohio in 1983. He worked as a professor of drawing at Cleveland State University from 1987-2019, while also serving nine years as art department chair. He was named Professor Emeritus in 2019.
After beginning his career as an illustrator with clients including Cleveland Magazine, Industry Week, and The Plain Dealer, Mauersberger began exhibiting drawings and works on paper in 1983. He has won numerous awards and honors including: the Best in Show in the 2006 Rockford National at the Rockford Art Museum in Illinois; the Best Drawing Award at the 2006 National Prize Exhibition in Cambridge, Massachusetts; a $20,000 Creative Workforce Fellowship in 2011 from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture; and the Best Drawing in the 2014 Butler Institute of American Art’s National Midyear Exhibition. He has created commissions for KeyCorp, Behnke Associates, the Cleveland Guardians, MetroHealth, Summa Health, and Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLP, among others. Mauersberger’s most recent solo exhibitions were at The Bonfoey Gallery in Cleveland, Ohio and the Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, Ohio.
Connie Ozan is a designer and visual thinker at heart. Her passion for design has led to many areas of interest which include a love for branding, advertising, interior design and styling. She’s CoFounder and Chief Creative Officer at Twist Creative, Inc. Her role is managing the design team and overseeing aesthetics for clients and the agency. Twist Creative’s team of Fearless Thinkers strive to fight mediocrity, while focusing on design that is thoughtful, impactful and result driven. At TWIST, the motto is “we work with heart.”
Ozan currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Cleveland Institute of Art where she holds a position on the marketing committee. She’s excited and enthusiastic about lending her time, talent and resources at the collegiate level to help inspire students, while at the same time, placing Cleveland on the map as a cultural hub for art and design.
Specialties: branding, identity design, campaign development, corporate communications, event planning, graphic design, interior design, styling, color and fashion enthusiast.
Nancy Prudic received her B.F.A. from the Cleveland Institute of Art and her M.F.A. from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Her work is concept driven and includes performance, installation and sculpture. She lives in Cleveland and has exhibited locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. She is presently Artist in Residence and Professor Emerita of Visual Art at Lake Erie College. She served on the exhibition committee at the Sculpture Center and is a founding member of Waterloo Arts and was also a member of that gallery committee.
Prudic has had solo exhibitions at Brandt Gallery, Lake Erie College and Ursuline College. She has recently had a Retrospective exhibition at Lake Erie College as well. She has exhibited nationally in New York City, Boston and Sacramento and internationally in the Staromestky Letny Festival in Bratislava and Spic Nove Ves, Slovakia. She has also participated in several Light Festivals and Parade the Circle celebrations at the Cleveland Museum of Art as a guest artist and has traveled to China and Thailand where she was a visiting artist at the Thai Chinese International Institute in Bangkok. She has also worked cross collaboratively in visual art, dance and theater.
Prudic has traveled globally and has visited museums and galleries in numerous global locations. She has also served on exhibition committees, been a juror for numerous exhibitions and was the director of the B. K. Smith Gallery at Lake Erie College.
Zack White is an accomplished motion designer and illustrator with a passion for creating fun, engaging designs both animated and static. Since graduating from Cleveland State University in 2014, White has built a reputation as a highly skilled and versatile artist, working both as a freelancer and as full-time staff.
White’s unique style is a blend of fun, whimsy and melancholy, with a touch of the unexpected that sets their work apart. His illustrations and motion work are diverse, covering both 2D and 3D design, and he has worked with a wide range of clients across multiple industries, some of which include Adult Swim, Netflix, Topps, Twitter, Verizon, and most recently, Sesame Street.
He lives a quiet life in the Ohio City neighborhood of west Cleveland and is currently employed full time as a senior motion designer by Paradowski Creative, a tech forward advertising agency based in St. Louis, Missouri. His hobbies include playing video games, collecting art, taking a stroll with his dog, Riggs, and having a drink or two around the corner with friends.
The Galleries at Cleveland State University wish to acknowledge the contributions of many individuals who made this exhibition possible.
First and foremost, we would like to thank the CSU merit scholars and student artists. Eight merit scholars and 84 student artists are featured in this vibrant exhibition. Works on display include painting, drawing, printmaking, ceramics, photography, graphic design, video animation and sculpture.
We would like to recognize the contributions of CSU studio faculty. They encouraged their students to submit artwork, developed guidelines, and took active roles in deciding award categories and cash amounts. All faculty worked with merit scholars to ensure exceptional merit exhibitions.
Student gallery employees who prepared the space and serve as gallery ambassadors include Emma Adams, Ashley Sandy, Kendall Braun, Tenzin Lucas and Kit Hannum, who is also a gallery intern. Many of our student gallery employees also have art in the show. We appreciate their impact here.
Our friends in University Marketing and Duplicating Services, along with Michelle Strong from The Galleries, are responsible for the design and production of this catalog. The College of Arts and Sciences communications coordinator, Lesley Lang, assisted in the promotion of the exhibition. Thanks to all for your hard work.
We are grateful to judges Connie Ozan, George Mauersberger, Nancy Prudic and Zack White who had the challenging task of jurying the show and selecting award winners. We relied on their expertise to make tough decisions and present the best exhibition possible.
Award donors are Robert Spademan and an anonymous alumnus. Thanks to their generous multiyear donations, awards continue to be historically large.
Special thanks to CSU President Laura Bloomberg, Ph.D., and College of Arts and Sciences Dean Andrew Kersten, Ph.D., for their support.
Finally, we gratefully acknowledge funding from the College of Arts and Sciences, the Ohio Arts Council and anonymous donors.
Kendall C. Christian Director, The Galleries at CSU
Gallery viewing hours Noon–5 p.m. | Tuesday–Saturday Closed Sunday and Monday artsandsciences.csuohio.edu/galleries