2023 Student Annual

University Galleries of Illinois State University is pleased to present the 2023 Student Annual from April 12 through May 7, 2023. All events are free and open to the public.

Accepted Entries

Exhibition

Since 1974, the Student Annual has showcased new artwork produced by students at Illinois State University. This exhibition has offered many students the first opportunity to have their work reviewed by professionals outside the University. Each year, two external arts professionals determine which works are selected for the exhibition and which works receive awards.

The Wonsook Kim School of Art is pleased to present the 2023 Marshall Dulaney Pitcher Award to BFA student Draper Matthews. This award honors outstanding students in the visual arts who demonstrate exceptional artistic talent, dedicated studio practice, and academic excellence. 2023 marks the 53rd anniversary of this prestigious award, which was established by the Pitcher family in memory of painting student Marshall Pitcher. University Galleries has traditionally dedicated exhibition space within the Student Annual to winners of the Marshall Dulaney Pitcher Award and a new installation by Matthews will be displayed on the entrance wall.

Jurors

This year's studio juror is Erin Washington, a painter, drawer, sculptor, and installation artist living in Chicago. Washington is a lecturer at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her work has been exhibited at Cleve Carney Museum of Art, Glen Ellyn, Illinois; University Galleries of Illinois State University, Normal; Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art, Chicago; Institute of Contemporary Art, Baltimore; Columbia University, New York; Western Exhibitions, Chicago; and Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago, among many others. 

This year’s design juror is Aggie Toppins, an Associate Professor of Communication Design and Chair of Design at Washington University in St. Louis. She combines studio practice and critical writing to explore issues in meaning-making, as well as design history and its feedback effect on practice. Her recent writing has been published by Design and Culture, Design Issues, Diseña, and AIGA Eye on Design. Her first book, Thinking Through Graphic Design History, will be released in 2025.

Events and Programming

All events and free and open to the public.

• Wednesday, April 12, from 4:00 to 5:50 p.m.
  Opening reception, with awards announced at 5:00 p.m.
  
  
• Friday, April 14, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.
  All-ages drawing workshop. Materials and instruction provided by University Galleries’ staff. Free and no reservations required.
  
  
• Saturday, April 15 at 1 p.m.
  Tour and Workshop: Art Around You. Co-presented with the Children’s Discovery Museum. Register at childrensdiscoverymuseum.net
  
• Saturday, April 22, from noon to 1:00 p.m.
  All-ages drawing workshop. Materials and instruction provided by University Galleries’ staff. Free and no reservations required.
  
  
• Saturday, April 29, from noon to 1:00 p.m.
  All-ages drawing workshop. Materials and instruction provided by University Galleries’ staff. Free and no reservations required.
  
  
• Field trip program, curator-led tours, and workshops available by appointment throughout the exhibition. Stipends are available for K-12 schools or community organizations to offset the costs of transportation. Please contact University Galleries at gallery@ilstu.edu or (309) 438-5487 to schedule an appointment.

University Galleries, a unit in the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts, is located at 11 Uptown Circle, Suite 103, at the corner of Beaufort and Broadway streets. Parking is available in the Uptown Station parking deck located directly above University Galleries—the first hour is free, as well as any time after 5:01 p.m.

You can find University Galleries on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and sign up to receive email updates through the newsletter. Please contact gallery@IllinoisState.edu or call (309) 438-5487 if you need to arrange an accommodation to participate in any events related to these exhibitions.