Juror's Statement

It was such an honor to jury the awards for this exhibition, so I will start by sending out a big thank you to all the participants and the Spartanburg Library. I was delighted to see the range of media, subject matter, and scale in the exhibition. It was fascinating to view the work of the students interspersed with the work of faculty and to search for possible connections in terms of technique, composition, and content. Because the work was created pre-pandemic, I wondered how different the show may look next year, and how the artists' work may grow and change in the future.

I saw so much possibility, potential, and glimpses of genius, it was very difficult to make decisions about the awards. My initial list had to be winnowed down, so I ask the exhibitors to take heart, and know that no matter how much a juror strives to be a fair, unbiased judge of quality, ultimately, the task of jurying is subjective. As I lingered in the exhibition, I found there were certain pieces that held my attention, that invited me to re-visit them over and over again. They asked me to lean in close and search their textures, shapes, patterns, colors, and imagery for meaning. They asked me to pause. They may have commanded it. I bring 20 years of teaching and practicing art to the table, and yet, I am always delighted to discover something new. I applaud the work of all the participants in the show.

Thank you for sharing your artistic practice with me and your community.

The Department of Art + Design at Anderson University offers a Bachelor of Arts in Art degree with concentrations in art education, ceramics, and painting and drawing, along with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design. In all our concentrations you'll learn to become a creative problem solver—a crucial skill for visual artists, but also a highly valued and transferable skill in other fields, including business, administration, and leadership.

Accredited by NASAD, the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, our program offers you a rigorous art education without making you move to a big city for college. You'll also benefit from the attentiveness and support of your professors who want to see you excel in both art and life and have a decades-long track record of doing just that.

The quality of our art ed grads inspires school principals to pursue them for job openings. Upon graduating from the Department of Art + Design, you're prepared to compete for graphic design positions at firms and agencies, entry into Master of Fine Arts programs and openings in art education. Our grads have forged careers working as studio artists, designers, art educators, with careers as diverse as art therapy and arts management.

Self Portrait by Charlie Class

Summer on Roan Mountain by Joanna Lothers

The Art and Design Department at Bob Jones University is designed to produce confident artists who are trained in technical excellence, conceptual theory, and practical application. Students not only receive rigorous training in design principals and traditional media, but also develop the critical thinking and visual skills necessary to produce an original body of work. Many BJU alumni flourish in creative careers all around the globe, while others have gone on to study in MFA programs like Pratt Institute and the Savannah College of Art and Design.

Virago Sleeve Study by Grace Llewellyn

Calm in the Chaos by Andrew Pledger

The Department of Art at Clemson University comprises around 100 undergraduates and 18 graduate students enrolled in the visual arts program. We offer two undergraduate degrees, a Bachelor of Fine Arts with concentrations in Ceramics, Drawing, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, and Sculpture, and a Bachelor of Arts in Art with concentrations in Digital Art & Design Media, Studio Art, and Art History. At the graduate level we offer the Master of Fine Arts degree.

Uniquely, our size allows us to frequently conduct team faculty critiques, to maximize the exchange of ideas and methods that arise within the individual studio programs of painting, sculpture, drawing, ceramics, printmaking and photography, as well as animation, graphic design, new media and art history. Our students work and learn in well-equipped studio facilities outfitted with the latest technologies, and we have an ideal average student-to-teacher ratio of 1-to-12 or better. Collaborative projects between faculty and students take place regularly, and we offer unique experiential learning opportunities through creative inquiry projects, on and off-campus internships, and study abroad. In addition to our studios, Art majors have educational access to a spacious art gallery, art and architecture library, computer labs and a materials lab.

Disco Ball by Carolina Cherry

Prosthesis by Aidan Rhoades

From its humble but traditional beginnings as a certificate program in Art and Art History in the early 1900’s, the Department of Art and Design at Converse College is today a robust campus unit with eight undergraduate and graduate academic degree programs. Undergraduate BA degrees include Art Education, Art History, Art Therapy, and Studio Art with BFA degrees in Interior Design and Studio Art. Graduate degrees include MAT in Art Education and the advanced MEd in Art Education. All programs are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). In addition, our Interior Design program is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA).

Horchata by Avery McAlhaney

I Died Too by Amber Nix

Greenville Technical College’s Department of Visual Arts (DVA) program is well respected in the arts community for education that allows graduates to go directly to work in areas such as advertising, web design, and professional photography or to move on to a four-year college with a strong portfolio and the skills to succeed.

Cheyenne Bellew by Fiona Aldigieri

Partly Cloudy by Yulia Imai

The Lander Art Department is an inviting and friendly environment where students thrive in both undergraduate and graduate programs. They work closely with professors in art and design studio classes that are dynamic. The supportive nature of the art faculty and the camaraderie both in the classroom and out, assures that students grow as artists and designers. After a rigorous foundation and core, students specialize in either a studio or design direction, both of which are focused on providing them with professional skills to prepare them to launch a creative career or attend graduate school.

Ranaflor by Ashley Garcia

Beauty In The Bloom by Dasia Warren

The Art Department at North Greenville University is unique, seeking to build up the student artists that enroll in our program. Our curriculum is designed to provide students with foundational skills in design, and then leads into exploring the technical side of their chosen media. The areas of emphasis at the NGU Art Department are Drawing, Painting, Photography, Ceramics, Sculpture, Printmaking, and Graphic Design. With a thorough knowledge of artistic design and practiced technical skills in place, students will then tackle the conceptual, which will how they will learn to proficiently speak through their artwork.

Conceivable Regret by Abigail Moore

Poppy Pot by Marissa Nelson

Accredited by NASAD, the major national accreditation organization for design and education, USC Upstate offers Bachelor of Arts degrees in Art Education and Art Studio with an emphasis in Graphic Design.

Art Education programs is designed to provide graduates experiences in studio art, art history, educational theories and dispositions that will prepare them to teach effectively which leads to initial certification to teach art in K-12 schools.

Graphic Design students will explore a broad range of content areas—including design theory, history, production, criticism, and aesthetics—resulting in a comprehensive and deep perspective. Courses are designed to discover how graphic design shapes print and web, electronic design, and illustration. The program provides students opportunities to grow skills in creativity, critical thinking, and problem analysis; it also empowers students with insights on the impact of design on global environments. Enable students to respond to global shifts in visual codes proactively and equip them with an ethical mindset that employers value how design can affect the broader society.

Duke by Natalie Klimovich

Welcome Home by William Mathis

Students in the Wofford Studio Art program are taught, mentored, and advised by practicing artists and scholars. They develop their own creative voices through the study of a broad range of contemporary and traditional modes of artistic production and can develop skills in design, drawing, painting, sculpture, installation, photography, digital art, printmaking, and ceramics.

Odiom by Yasmin Lee