Bry Art Gallery is hosting its 26th annual Juried Student Art Exhibition until May 2, where the showroom fills to the brim with art of every kind, having all relentlessly competed to be there. 

ULM’s art department is always bursting with talent, but this exhibit is an excellent visual reminder. 

In this highly-competitive opportunity, nearly 30 art students entered with a total of 95 works, but only 27 works were accepted. The exhibition featured art of every variety, from sculptures made of tissue paper to ceramics to photo-realistic oil paintings. 

Two of the highest-billed winners included Olivia St. Blanc and Lemon Burnside, who both submitted an array of eclectic art. The awards for their fantastic work were given out earlier in the month, accompanying cash prizes for the most highly-appraised pieces. 

Burnside won the O’Neal Family Art Foundation Award, and St. Blanc was the recipient of both Best in Show and the People’s Choice Award, as well as a $150 cash prize sum. 

St. Blanc said they didn’t expect to win, but they were thrilled at the results. 

They felt that out of such a wide selection of beautiful and meaningful works, they were honored to have won the hearts of the art fraternities’ affections.  

St. Blanc submitted a highly-detailed self-portrait with a set of captivating eyes looking off into the distance.

“I think that’s what’s so interesting,” St. Blanc said. “I didn’t have any meaning in mind for this self-portrait, but everyone interpreted it in their own way.”

Although it was St. Blanc’s first time submitting to the exhibit, she still came away with a strong idea of why it has been such an important event to the campus. Not only does it give student artists the opportunity to gain a name for themselves, but it also shows the campus what is on the minds of modern artists.

Some students have enjoyed taking a break from finals prep to come by the gallery. Brandon Ray, a nursing student, enjoyed the unusual pieces on display. 

“I had never seen anything like some of those works,” Ray said. “I didn’t know there were such talented people on campus.”