Jurors award Racquel Rowe top prize in 50th annual event
If you happened to walk through Zavitz Hall this past weekend, you may have noticed the space was filled with even more art than usual. That’s because this weekend was the annual Juried Art Show (JAS).
Each spring, JAS runs for about three days. Considered a highlight of the year for many studio art majors, JAS offers an opportunity for students to showcase their work and hopefully take home a prize; this year’s first place prize was $1,100.
Professor Martin Pearce opened the prize ceremony on Friday evening by discussing the history of JAS. Founded in 1968 (the same year as the death of iconic French artist Marcel Duchamp), JAS began when the University was only four years old. This year marked the JAS’s 50th anniversary.
Two groups of awards were given out, first being the “Technicians and Faculty Awards” and second being “Honourable Mentions” and “Top Ten.” Picking from students’ work anonymously submitted to the show, a group of three jurors selected 10 artists for honourable mentions, and another “Top Ten” artists to receive cash prizes and the opportunity to showcase their pieces at the Boarding House Gallery in downtown Guelph.
This year the panel consisted of:
Patrick Cruz, a recent graduate from Guelph’s MFA program
Will Gorlitz, a retired drawing professor
Maegan Mehler, another graduate from Guelph’s MFA program
Third place was awarded to Nenad Vitas for his piece Janusz, a large-scale digital print.
Second place was given to Kaya Ratnasabapathy for her painting Honey, Self-Portrait (based on compliments from men on my skin colour).
Finally, Racquel Rowe took home the first place prize for her video performance piece, Walking Discharge #1. “My practice explores the realm of gender politics and the female body through video, performance, and public intervention. People are often made uncomfortable by bodily functions and I am interested in facilitating critical dialogue around this,” Rowe explained.
Aside from a few minor technical difficulties, the night was filled with positive energy and celebration of students’ work. As artist Abby Nowakowski put it, “JAS is a great opportunity for students to have their work seen, not only by their peers but also by the general public coming through from College Royal, and other professors and old students. The ceremony is great because we get to celebrate each other’s works.”
The top 10 pieces will be on display at the Boarding House Gallery from March 19 to March 25, with an opening reception on Thursday, March 22.
The 2018 JAS Top Ten:
- Racquel Rowe — Walking Discharge #1
- Kaya Ratnasabapathy — Honey, Self-Portrait (based on compliments from men on my skin color)
- Nenad Vitas — Janusz
- Emelie Robertson —This is definitely not A grade
- Lachlan Sheldrick — Three Derelicts
- Ahmri Vandeborne & Abby Nowakowski — Untitled (43.5410896, -80.2504659)
- Agnieszka Zeglen — Transmute
- Three-way tie: Michelle Ouellet — Wilton 201; Agnes McCormack — Party party; Richelle Forsey — inorganic performance