Upper Iowa University hosting first ever community college art exhibition; selects ‘Best in Show’ winners and scholarship recipients

Upper Iowa University Associate Professor of Art and director of the Bing-Davis Memorial Art Gallery Elissa Wenthe (far left) discusses art forms with three attendees at UIU’s first community college art reception held last week.

FAYETTE, Iowa (November 10, 2014) – Upper Iowa University Art Department is hosting its first community college art showcase which is on display now through December 5 in Bing-Davis Memorial Art Gallery at the Edgar Fine Arts building on the Fayette, Iowa, campus. The UIU Art Department plans to host the community college art exhibition every other year.

“We are so excited to host the talents of our local community college students,” said Elissa Wenthe, director of Bing-Davis Memorial Art Gallery and associate professor of art. “It is always great to foster relationships with these institutions and to be able to share these beautiful works of art with a larger UIU community.”

Students at the exhibition represented Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) in Peosta, Iowa; Rochester Community and Technical College in Rochester, Minn.; and Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. All community colleges within a 200-mile radius of Upper Iowa University’s residential campus were invited to take part in the show.

Best of show went to Katie Brooks of Kirkwood with a ceramic pitcher. Brooks earned a $200 cash prize. First runner up was Brandon Corpstein of NICC with his Barrel Roll Whiskey product design, earning a $100 cash prize. Nick Reeke of NICC earned second runner up with a design work titled “How to Kill a Mockingbird,” for a $75 cash prize.

In addition, UIU art faculty selected several tuition scholarship awards to be used to attend Upper Iowa University’s Fayette campus. Recipients included Brooks, Corpstein, Reeke, Aaron Moseley of Kirkwood, Steve Sandberg of Kirkwood, Brad Vondra of NICC, Darrek Benish of Kirkwood and Calcie Shireman of NICC.

The Bing-Davis Art Gallery is open to the public Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.