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Bulldog News

SC State Student Art Exhibition reception and awards presentation set for April 17

Author: Sam Watson, Director of University Relations|Published: April 11, 2024|All News, Student News

ORANGEBURG, S.C. – The opening reception for South Carolina State University’s 52nd Annual Student Art Exhibition is scheduled for Wednesday, April 17, 2024, from 4:30-5:30 p.m. in the Fine Arts Building’s lobby.

The campus community and the public are invited.

Prizes and awards will be presented at the opening reception. The exhibition will be on display Mondays through Thursdays in the Fine Arts Building Gallery until the end of the semester.

The annual student exhibition provides an opportunity for the faculty, staff, alumni and students of SC State, as well as all interested members of the community, to recognize, support and celebrate the creativity of the burgeoning young artists within the university’s Visual Arts Program.

Each spring semester, the annual student exhibition provides a forum for students on campus to present their artwork. One of the program’s goals is to encourage students to become visually aware of the world around them and to prepare students for careers in visual art and other disciplines, or graduate studies.

This exhibition provides experiential learning and professional development opportunities for students. All works are then reviewed by juror, an artist professional who selects work to be included in the show.  Sean Clute, a University of South Carolina professor of ceramic arts, served as the juror for this year’s exhibition.  

In preparation for the exhibition, workshops are offered by faculty to help students with matting, framing and preparing artworks for hanging. This year, student work on display consists of drawings. paintings, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, photography, and digital media.

“I appreciate the opportunity to get to know your students through their artwork,” Clute said. “It was a pleasure to see where students landed in their creativity.  I took laps around the artwork to make sure the work spoke to me and had aspects of craftsmanship.

“I was happy to see that I connected with a wide range of mediums and themes. I appreciate all the work that was submitted for this process.  I wish all your students well in their future endeavors,” he said.

About SC State's Visual Arts Program

The Visual Arts Program is a part of the Department of Visual & Performing Arts within the College of Education, Humanities, and Social Sciences. Dr. Evelyn Fields serves as the Dean of the College, and Dr. Tolulope Filani is the department's chairman. The Visual Arts Program coordinator is Professor Kim LeDee, who works alongside Alexander Thierry, an assistant professor of ceramics and 3D design; Maggie O’Hara, professor of photography; Dr. Frank Martin, professor of art history; and Winston Kennedy, adjunct professor of printmaking.

About Sean Clute

Clute grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, which helped him see many different types of people and have a curiosity of the human spirit. He was able to find clay in high school, which opened a new area of thinking and making. This led him to pursue Ceramics at the University of Montana. This is where he found his form and the pursuit to understand human behavior in clay. This gave him an opportunity to participate in long-term residencies at The Clay Studio of Missoula, Morean Center for Clay and Lillstreet art Center.  He also found his voice in teaching during this time, as well.

After understanding his approach to human behavior, he wanted to understand how to clarify his message and be able to speak on societal issues. He got his Master of Fine Arts at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He looked at how a person’s environment challenged or corrupted their character. His work looks at how people fall through the cracks in our society.  For more information visit http://seanclute.com/  .