National Park College hosted its annual Student Art and Poetry Exhibition in the Student Commons Conference Center last week, beginning Tuesday.
The exhibition's poetry reception was held Wednesday, which featured a singing performance and a live reading of the winning poems from the poetry contest.
The exhibition featured a mix of drawings, paintings, digital work, photography, ceramics, film and poetry, according to a news release. Also showcased were 10 soon-to-be graduating students' capstone projects, which they worked on for at least the entire semester.
"The two-year students get to show their capstone projects, and it's a wonderful way for all the students to show the work that they've done over the past years and show their final projects," Sarah Rudder, a sophomore digital media arts major, said.
Video not playing? Click here https://www.youtube.com/embed/wO-csPa_HA0
"My final capstone project is a superb ceramics small business, and I create all these small and large ceramics," Rudder said.
"It's my little small business that I want to take and do little ceramics on the side. It's kinda like my little hobby."
Although this was the first time Rudder has participated in the exhibition, she was awarded "outstanding display" from participants of the industry partnership advisory team meeting who observed the exhibition, awarding pieces that stood out to them.
After receiving her associate degree from NPC, Rudder said she plans to transfer to the Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design and take classes online to obtain her bachelor's degree. Although, in her last semester, she has plans to move to Colorado and gain experience there, she said.
"I don't know if I wanna get a job in Colorado or stay here and get a job," she said. "But, just kinda see where my experience leads me."
Chloe Berryhill, on the other hand, is a freshman in her first year at NPC, majoring in digital media arts. She was awarded "outstanding 3D design" during the exhibition for her sculpture of a piece of toast.
"I think it's really cool I get this opportunity as a college student, that people in the community can come visit our work," she said.
Berryhill said she plans to transfer to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock after receiving her associate degree from NPC to obtain a bachelor's degree in graphic design.
The exhibition was free and open to the public, offering students who participated the opportunity to display their work and show community members what kind of artists the college is producing.
"The purpose of this exhibition is to show the community what National Park students can do in the art world and what kind of art we can bring to the community and show our art skills," Rudder said. "There's some pretty good artists here. I know we're young and we're still getting our degrees, but we're artists. We are artists, really good artists."
Sarah Rudder discusses her capstone project, which was awarded "outstanding display." – Photo by Courtney Edwards of The Sentinel-Record
Chloe Berryhill discusses NPC's annual Student Art and Poetry Exhibition and her piece, which was awarded "outstanding 3D design." – Photo by Courtney Edwards of The Sentinel-Record