Valdosta National 2020
By Hannah Wynn
The “Valdosta National” exhibition is displayed in the Valdosta State University Dedo Maranville Fine Arts Gallery in Valdosta, GA. This exhibition is the gallery’s annual display of contemporary art that showcases multiple medias. The exhibition runs from January 21-February 7, 2020. After stepping into the gallery, one is embraced with a calming and quiet atmosphere. The viewer can browse the exhibition however they want without a specific order. I believe that the installation was great for the exhibition. Each work in the exhibition is labeled with the artist’s name, the title of the work, and the medium of the work. Every work in the show is well lit by the use of studio lighting and they are spaced to where each work can be seen without being crowded by other works. Out of the 48 works, 46 of them were for sale and ranged from $100-$8500. They were judged and awards were given for first through fourth place, as well as honorable mentions.
I believe that some of the works deserved their places while others could have been replaced. First place went to Caminos/Paths (Pueblito Mosconi) by Valerie Aranda, second-place to Ex Libris Hand-Cut Reclaimed Index Cards by Amy Broderick, third place to The Mesa by Kevin Sloan, and fourth place to Blue by Ruth Simon McRae. The honorable mentions were as follows: Submission Fee No. 34 by Martha Knox, Rough Draft by Robert Schoolfield, Pink Bondage Vase II by Warner Ball, and A Pop Song Playing Really Loudly by Sarah Kennedy.
A controversial piece to many was the second-place winner titled Ex Libris Hand-Cut Reclaimed Index Cards by Amy Broderick. This piece displayed index cards that had been cut and layered on top of each other. After hearing the mixed views of this piece, I feel that this piece was something that could be done by anyone. This piece, in my opinion, should not have been placed second. It is a piece that didn’t draw my attention.
A couple of my favorite pieces that I believe should have placed were It Wasn’t Me by Nathalie Beck and Reminisce by Thu Nguyen. It Wasn’t Me is a colored pencil drawing of a kitten. From a distance this piece appears to be a photograph but the closer the viewer gets to it, the more the pencil marks can be seen and the detail becomes prominent. The craftsmanship of this piece was excellent in my opinion. Reminisce by Thu Nguyen is an acrylic and gold leaf piece of a female figure, who appears to be in deep thought. It appears as if she is reminiscing on memories. There is writing around the figure in Chinese. I believe that this piece should have at least gotten an honorable mention because of its large scale, intriguing nature, and craftsmanship. The piece got my attention because of the shimmering gold and the longing look of the woman. It made me wonder what she was thinking about and I put myself in her shoes.
Overall I believe this exhibition is worth viewing. Every work was different in its own way but they all still were unified in the sense that they were all contemporary pieces of art. The exhibition is a great way to begin the new year in the Dedo Maranville Fine Arts Gallery.
Bio: Hannah Wynn is pursing her degree in art. She plans to focus on photography and will graduate in May 2021.