By Christopher Gillett
The McDonough Museum of Art is opening its 85th Annual Juried Student Art and Design Exhibition. The show will feature select artwork done by Youngstown State University students in the 2021-2022 academic year.
Students can enter their artwork March 17-18 by dropping it off at McDonough. The work is then examined by a judge who will select the winners. The winning pieces will be on display during the exhibition.
Judgment takes place March 19 and will be done by Elizabeth Emery, who has done extensive professional work with studio art. Different judges are chosen every year to avoid bias, and they usually come from the local art community and are suggested by art facilities.
Third-year student Lindsay DeLullo is a studio art major with an emphasis in painting and serves as vice president of the Student Art Association. She is a major organizer and preparer of the art exhibition. She became involved with the SAA organizing last year’s Juried Student Art Exhibition and eventually made her way up to vice president.
Delullo is excited to see her classmates’ art on display.
“I just find it interesting that students can see their art displayed professionally on the gallery walls. That is something that has stuck with me since my first exhibition last year,” DeLullo said.
Freshman art education major Alana Carkido is the president of SAA. Carkido’s work has seen her very involved in organizing the exhibition as well and she said she’s excited for its presentation.
“Just in my own personal experience, I have really enjoyed seeing students’ artwork. As a freshman, I love seeing all the new styles. I love seeing more experienced students’ styles and I’m just really excited to see a vast expression and collection of different opinions, voices and styles come together in one show,” she said.
Both DeLullo and Carkido are considering contributing to the exhibition with their own paintings, sculptures and drawings.
Claudia Berlinski, the director of the McDonough Museum of Art, has worked with SAA in planning the exhibition and displaying it.
“I also do know that a number of students took the time off during the height of COVID, so there were maybe fewer students in the studio classes and so that of course affected the number and size of the exhibition,” she said.
If any students majoring in art-related fields are interested in joining the SAA, they can contact Alana Carkido at amcarkido@student.ysu.edu or Lindsay DeLullo at lndelullo@student.ysu.edu.
The exhibition will be displayed from March 25 to April 9 and available for any McDonough visitors to see.
