Annual Regional HS Art Exhibit

Exhibit runs from Feb 1 - 26, 2009

History of the Annual Regional Juried High School Art Exhibit
This exhibit is part of a long-term collaboration between Friends of the Arts Regional Arts Council and Plymouth State University. Beginning at the inception of both the Friends of the Arts Regional Arts Council and the Karl Drerup Gallery, the program has continued to be a part of the Exhibitions Program at Plymouth State University and an important part of Friends of the arts’ Art Encounters Educational Programming.

Philosophical Goals and Intent
The Friends and the Plymouth State University Art Department designed the program to honor the imaginative and skillful artworks created by young people in secondary schools in Central and Northern New Hampshire, by exhibiting their work in this professional gallery space. The intent of the exhibit is to provide the opportunity for these students and their teachers to explore and observe a wide range of media, processes, themes, and subject interpretations which promote self-confidence in students to the degree that they feel free to reconsider their attitudes, their direction of study, and their future goals. We acknowledge the growing artistic capabilities of the adolescent in handling materials and techniques by establishing consistent and sensitive standards for evaluation.

Evaluation Criteria:
Approximately 16-20 public and private high schools participate in the exhibit each year. Art teachers are asked to limit their submissions to 12 artworks per school. The over 200 artworks are then judged by a jury that includes one Plymouth State Art Department faculty member and a panel of New Hampshire artists, sculptors, and art educators.. This selection process is due to space limitations and to achieve a show of the highest quality.

Imaginative Content - artwork should reflect interpretation and communication of ideas and demonstrate a sense of personal expression.

Skill and Technique - artwork should reflect competency and inventiveness. Students should be encouraged to push themselves to the limit of their technical abilities. Jurors understand that adolescent skills and techniques are in development and may not be consistent throughout an entire piece.

Observation and Inquiry – artwork should reflect the ability to work from observation and demonstrate evidence of thoughtful examination of the subject matter. Ideally, the artwork would reflect the artist’s ability to organize and express a response to the inquiry of the subject matter.

What kind of Art Work can be Submitted?
Artwork must be original artwork and must have been produced in the calendar year preceding the exhibit. Artwork can be from the following categories: Sculpture – Mixed Media , Painting, Black & White Drawing, Color Drawing, Printmaking , Photography, Graphic Design, Crafts(wood working, metal working, jewelry, pottery, stitchery, weaving, basketry). Collaborative or group work may be submitted.

What Awards are Given? The panel of judges selects three artworks for the three prizes: Best of Show, Judge’s Award, and Freshman Award

The panel also selects Special Awards for Outstanding Work in specific media, and Honorable Mention for individual artworks.