BGSU Undergrad Art Show is a launching pad for young talent
By DAVID DUPONT BG Independent News The opening of the annual Undergraduate Exhibition is one of the busiest days for the galleries at Bowling Green State University. The annual exhibit features work by 100 artists, and the awards ceremony draws a large contingent of family, friends, fellow artists, faculty, and staff. Sunday’s opening was no exception. For Charles Kanwischer, the director of the School of Art, the turnout is fitting. Harking back to the first time his work was shown, he said, this is a milestone in these young creators’ careers. “To win a prize, to be acknowledged some way, is to start believing in yourself, and that’s the most important function of this show,” Kanwischer said. Work exhibited in the Bryan Gallery There were many awards — some determined by faculty, and five determined by the panel of three outside jurors. Yuna Ahn, a junior from Perrysburg, won the Medici Circle Best of Show Award for her painting “I Swallowed the Red Pill,” which was also selected for first place in painting. Also honored by the jurors were: Jacob Church, Main Street Photo and Portrait Studio Award, for his photo “Slide.”Trent Clayton, Marietta Kirschner Wigg Print Award, for his print “South Michigan Ave.”Chloe Arch, Ringholz Art Supply Award 2D, for her drawing “Autism 6-8th.”Hannah Zitzelberger, Ringholz Art Supply Award 3D, for her jewelry “Cicadas.” (Click to see a full listing of awards.) Best of Show honoree, Ahn said she relies on art to tell her story. A native of South Korea, her family moved to Perrysburg seven years ago. Her English isn’t fluid enough to convey her ideas. “I’m always struggling to communicate. I can express myself truly through my art.” Her painting speaks volumes. “I Swallowed the Red Pill” has layers of imagery. The painting employs a popular ancient Korean painting as the background to the scene, just as the painting appears in many restaurants in Korea. That traditional painting, she explained, shows two men spying on a woman bathing outdoors. Ahn connects that to the problem prevalent in Korean of social media voyeurism using spy cams. The…