This year, Valdosta State University had the honor of hosting the 32nd annual “Valdosta National” in the Dedo Maranville Fine Arts Gallery, consisting of fifty artists and fifty-two works from twenty-five states across the U.S. The exhibition showcases the “best” contemporary art from all media. As the viewer enters the installation, art is displayed to the left and right with a choice of where to start. Furthermore, each piece was given a text panel consisting of the title of the artwork, type of medium, the artist’s name, and the location where the artist works. The floating question of the exhibition was “is this actually the best art?” Art is a relative term. Many artists, art historians, and others have defined characteristics or guidelines for something to be art, yet those guidelines have constantly been broken by a new movement of art. Using the artwork’s originality, craftsmanship, the content, and composition, I will evaluate what the artist is intending their art to convey.
The “Valdosta National” exhibition at the
Valdosta State University Dedo Maranville Fine Arts Gallery displayed artists
from all over the country. The selection process for this exhibit was rigorous,
with 406 works of art from 146 different artists from 35 states in the United
States all submitting their art to be selected. 52 works of art by 50 different
artists were invited to have their art put on display at this exhibition. The
atmosphere of this exhibit was calm and relaxing. Many viewers knew one another
already so it was a very friendly environment; people were laughing and viewing
the art in a calm way. These works were all spaced out well and were not cluttered
in the placing of each work. When I walked into this exhibit, I was handed a
list of each artwork and the selling price for that piece. This brought an
additional perspective into this process; being able to judge the work for
myself and being able to see what these artists thought their art was worth was
a new viewpoint.
Visitors who attended the “Valdosta National” saw a bicycle that resembled an antelope, a hyper-realistic colored pencil drawing of a kitten, patterned paper silhouettes, three-dimensional layers of colored cardstock artworks, and an abstract artwork which consisted of cut fabric and string. These were only a few works among the many which were displayed in the “Valdosta National” exhibition which opened on January 21, 2020. The exhibition was located at the Dedo Maranville Fine Arts Gallery at Valdosta State University. This was Valdosta State University’s 32nd year hosting the “Valdosta National”. There were 406 individual artists who competed for $1,500 in awards which were announced at the opening reception. The entire list of these awards as well as photographs of the show are located on the VSU Dedo Maranville Fine Arts Gallery Facebook page. A total of 52 works were selected from 50 individual artists from 25 states. This year Didi Dunphy had the honor of judging each artwork. She graduated with an MFA from San Francisco Art Institute. Dunphy is a professor at the Lamar Dodd School of Art at UGA where she teaches contemporary and digital media art classes. Furthermore, Dunphy spends her time as an independent curator in partnership with regional art museums.
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.
Finding a Sense of Home Within the Valdosta National 2020 Exhibition
By: Harlee E. Webb
Valerie Aranda, Caminos/Paths (Mosconi town), Acrylic on canvas
This year the 32nd annual “Valdosta National” All-Media Juried Exhibition was held at Valdosta State University in the Dedo Maranville Fine Arts Gallery. This specific exhibition contained a variety of artwork from all over the country showcasing contemporary visual art from 50 artists representing 25 states. From the ceramics studio down the hall, one could hear the chatter of numerous guests, waiting to enter the gallery. Students covered in paint came fleeing towards the gallery in swaths– so too did men and women in business attire– all of them piling in through the glass door. Having maneuvered my way through the throng, I found myself amongst the menagerie of artwork– some extremely pleasing, and others shocking to behold. This exhibition was diverse in media, style, and subject matter, so much so that it felt overwhelming. The richness of this exhibition served not only to showcase the talents of the artists from 25 states, but also to provoke discourse between those attending.
This year the 32nd annual “Valdosta National” All-Media Juried Exhibition was held at Valdosta State University in the Dedo Maranville Fine Arts Gallery. This specific exhibition contained a variety of artwork from all over the country showcasing contemporary visual art from 50 artists representing 25 states. From the ceramics studio down the hall, one could hear the chatter of numerous guests, waiting to enter the gallery. Students covered in paint came fleeing towards the gallery in swaths– so too did men and women in business attire– all of them piling in through the glass door. Having maneuvered my way through the throng, I found myself amongst the menagerie of artwork– some extremely pleasing, and others shocking to behold. This exhibition was diverse in media, style, and subject matter, so much so that it felt overwhelming. The richness of this exhibition served not only to showcase the talents of the artists from 25 states, but also to provoke discourse between those attending.
The Dedo Maranville Art Gallery is a small quaint gallery in the Fine Arts building of Valdosta State University in Valdosta, GA. Each year they host the Valdosta National Exhibition where artists from all over the country submit their work to be judged by a reputable judge not associated with the college. The small quaintness of the gallery gives the viewer a very intimate atmosphere, helping the viewer to connect with the artwork. Artwork mediums range from sculptures to photography to charcoal to oil to an augmented reality print requiring the viewer to download an app to fully experience the piece. The beauty of this exhibition is the variety of artistic influences among the artists. One can enjoy a little dash of Expressionism, a pinch of Impressionism and maybe a sprinkle of Surrealism and Dadaism as well as mixing in social, political and sexual interpretations, creating a soup of post-modern pluralism.
Dedo Maranville Gallery’s Valdosta National 2020 exhibition presented several distant artists from across the nation. The artworks were judged, and the placement was announced during the opening of the exhibition. Numerous forms of media were present at the gallery. The exhibition received submissions from artists across the nation. Although there were a variety of subjects and media, the gallery’s spacing of the artwork made the gallery appear cohesive. The gallery used white and bland walls to give the artwork proper breathing space where you couldn’t be distracted by other artwork that was presented in the gallery.
