Justice Gage | Graphics Co-Editor

This year marks the fourth year that the Buena Vista University (BVU) Art and Graphic Design Departments present the Western Iowa Salon Exhibition (WISE). This year, WISE is represented by the color blue but has also been identified by the colors red, green, and purple in the past. WISE is a juried high school art show, including graphic design, photography, and ceramics. A total of 150 pieces of artwork from nine different high schools were submitted to WISE. The juror, Mona Majorowicz, selected the 80 pieces currently displayed in the Art Gallery.

A public reception was held Saturday, March 8 in the BVU Art Gallery where 78 of the 80 selected pieces decorate the room. $600 in cash prizes were awarded to the top three picks by the juror; $300 for first, $200 for second, and $100 for third place. Nine pieces were selected for Juror’s Choice Awards.

Associate Professor of Graphic Design Rebecca Frates was one of the faculty members in charge of organizing the event.

“Usually we have quite a few pieces submitted from Storm Lake high school, but this year Carroll and Westwood schools submitted the greatest number of pieces,” Frates said.

One goal of WISE, in addition to recognizing high school students’ work, is to get those students to campus. According to Frates, some of the teachers who receive the call for entries do not even realize BVU is here. She says BVU has amazing facilities, and getting students on campus for this event is a good way to introduce them to campus. Frates, however, makes it clear that the exhibition is not a recruitment ploy.

Associate Professor of Art Mary Mello-Nee commented on the Saturday event.

“It was a decent turnout,” Mello-Nee said. “There were quite a few who attended.”

Frates agreed and added that because the state speech competition was rescheduled, WISE did not have as big of a turnout as it could have. She also noted that the teacher from Westwood was unable to transport her students to the reception.

Mello-Nee was one of the faculty members involved in the selection of Majorowicz as the juror for WISE.

“We want artists whose work we respect and/or offers variety of taste. This ensures each show is different,” Mello-Nee said.

Majorowicz explained at the reception how she decided which pieces were above the rest. The number one factor for her was emotion. Majorowicz is a two dimensional artist who provides a unique perspective on high school students’ artwork. Majorowicz is in no way affiliated with BVU or the BVU Art Department.

According to Mello-Nee, it is important to ensure that the juror has no direct relationship to BVU in order to prevent an accusation of biased selections.

All of the pieces of artwork will remain in the gallery until Thursday, April 3 when students make arrangements for the return of their work.

Photos by Zachary Schmidt and Kyle Shade