Winners of Juried Student Show display artwork

The artwork displayed in the “Best of the Best” art show, today through May 13 in Fiskum Gallery, is from students who were awarded top honors during the 11th annual “Annual Juried Student Show” that occurred in April.

Senior Karen Gilbank, an art major with an emphasis in printmaking, was given the “Best of Show” award for her multiple drop print titled “Cow Lilies.”

She was also given Honorable Mention by NASCO for her etching piece “My Space.” This piece depicts a modern “Little Red Riding Hood.” She is on her computer and the “big bad wolf” serves as representation for all the unpleasant things that can be encountered online.

Gilbank said she has won several other awards in the past. At last year’s juried show, she was given the

“Chancellor Richard and Roni Telfer Merit Award,” and she also had her artwork displayed at the Commercial Bank of Whitewater and Janesville.

There were more than 20 awards given at the show. Winners including Gilbank, who won “Best of Show;”

Allison Timmins, who was awarded the first-place prize by Arts and Communication Dean Mark McPhail; senior Alex Mehring, who was given the “Chancellor Richard and Roni Telfer Merit Award;” and junior

Whitney Schutte, who won the “Director’s Award for Book Arts” by professor Michael Flanagan.

This year Kristen Ferrell, a  painter, illustrator and fashion designer, was brought in as a guest and professional juror of the event.

“All of the students who submitted work are very talented, and I really enjoyed working with them,” Gilbank said. “There were a lot of different mediums represented, both 2D and 3D.”

There were a total of 11 other printmakers involved in the Annual Juried Student Show.

“This is a reflection on Professor Max White,” Gilbank said. “She is very influential to all of her students.”
Aside from entering into art shows, Gilbank is involved in the UW-Whitewater Printmakers Association, also known as Print Farm.

Print Farm put on its first show and student print sale on April 26-27.

“The sale was very successful,” Gilbank said. “We were thankful to all of the faculty members that came.”

“It’s all about getting your work out there,” White said. “We are all very appreciative for all of the support that the Telfers have given the art department and its students.”

Gilbank said it means a lot to artists just to see their art being purchased.

“It’s a morale booster,” Gilbank said. “It encourages the artist to make more work.”

The UW-Whitewater Printmakers Association was founded in December 2011 and is rapidly growing.

“We want to do more in the future, such as service work,” White said. “I would love to bring prints to nursing homes.”