The University of Findlay’s Annual Juried Student Art Exhibition is open in the Dudley and Mary Marks Lea Gallery in the Virginia B. Gardner Fine Arts Pavilion and will remain open through Wednesday, April 22. It is free and open to the public.
   
The Best of Show award went to Melissa Beaver for her painting “Mr. Sad Box.” Beaver also received a first-place award for her drawing and mixed media work, “Gertrude,” and her design, “Hold On.”

First-place awards also were given to Sarah Gosche for a painting, “Nonchalant;” Hitomi Maru for a drawing, “Murder;” Andrea Minnich for graphic design, “Pulse Energy Drink Package;” Keying Wu for printmaking, “Chinese Mountain;” Joey Hoffman for ceramics, “Water Jar;” and Catrina Daniels for a photo, “Litzenberg.”

Many of the pieces in the exhibit are for sale.
   
Entries were judged by Jim Fultz, a visiting judge and adjunct art history professor at both Bluffton University and Owens Community College. Fultz teaches courses in art history and art appreciation. He has served as a gallery guide and attendant at the Guggenheim Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Fultz holds a master of fine arts from Ohio University and a bachelor of fine arts from the University of Akron. His graphic art and paintings have been exhibited in Ohio, Indiana, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina and in several private collections.

“My first impression after looking at all of the work was that I was happy to see a nice range of approaches, both in terms of concepts and techniques,” said Fultz. “The works that drew me in seemed authentic and were well executed.”