Al Young Art Show 2011

Ryan Hansen glues as other submissions for the Al Young Art Show gather in background.

Ryan Hansen's submission for Knox College's 2011 Al Young Art Show -- a large multi-part foam sculpture -- was created months earlier, and then disassembled for storage. One afternoon in the week prior to the show's opening on May 6, the psychology major from Zion, Illinois (above), was back with the pieces -- bracing and reassembling the six-foot tall angular sculpture.

"I'm glad I've got a photo to work from," said Hansen, as he glued the painted foam pieces back together. Hansen's sculpture won a second place award in its category.

Behind Hansen, filling the Gallery space outside the Round Room, dozens of drawings lay on the floor and paintings leaned on the wall -- waiting for students to mount them.

With the judging and opening of the show days away, Tashi Ongmo (below, right) was making a last-minute exchange -- substituting one of her large paintings in favor of another.

"I like them both," explained the art major from Bhutan, "but one has been critiqued more than the other, and I feel more confident about it."

Evelyn Langley's complex nylon string sculpture (below right), built for a class last term, has been up so long that she posted a sign, requesting that it not be removed until after the show. It also won a sculpture award.

Langley, Ongmo, Hansen and dozens of other students competed for more than $2,000 in total prize money. Award winners are determined every year by a distinguished visiting guest artist -- in 2011 the judge was Susanna Coffey, the F.H. Sellers Professor of Painting and Drawing at the School of the Art Insititute of Chicago. Prizes are awarded in ceramics, drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, graphic design and mixed media.

At the show opening and award ceremony on May 6, Coffey praised "the rich variety of work that I was able to spend my day with." She selected 23 works for awards, out of nearly 200 entries. Three additional awards were selected by the Knox art faculty. In all, students were awarded more than $2,000 in prizes.

"(Success in art) is more a matter of time than talent," Coffey told the students. "The merit of the work is in the work."

"The Al Young Show is a great opportunity for students to show their work, and Susanna Coffey is a particularly outstanding artist and speaker to have on campus this year," said Claire Sherman, assistant professor of art.

The show also builds the College's art collection -- in each category, the first place prize is a purchase award.

The show is named after Al Young '69. A long-time teacher in Belleville, Illinois, who died in 1993, Young began making gifts toward art prizes in 1968, while he was still a student. Since 1993, prizes have been supported by gifts from Young's sister, Ann A. Young '68; several of the awards are named in honor of their parents, Albert G . Young and Anna Elisabeth Young.

The show also provides a venue for the awarding of other endowed prizes in art.  The Dick Blick Company Prize in Graphic Design is sponsored by Blick Art Materials, and John Polillo, executive vice president of Blick Art Materials, spoke at the ceremony.

Sculpture awards are supported by artist Beverly Bender '40; a drawing prize is endowed by Marie Maltby Gunther '36, in memory of her grandson, Matthew Dale Gunther; the Elda Crichton Campbell Prize in printmaking, established by Dr. James A Campbell '39 in honor of his wife; and the Isaac O. Peterson Studio Award is funded by former students to memorialize the long-time Knox art professor.

Founded in 1837, Knox is a national liberal arts college in Galesburg, Illinois, with students from 48 states and 51 countries. Knox's "Old Main" is a National Historic Landmark and the only building remaining from the 1858 Lincoln-Douglas debates.

42nd Annual Albert G. Young Exhibition and Competition
Knox College, May 2011

Young Awards in Painting
First $200 ~ Amanda Hubeny
Second $100 ~ Rebecca Ott
Third $75 ~ Zackary Herbst
Third $75 ~ Benjamin Boor

Matthew Dale Gunther Awards in Drawing
First $100 ~ Erin Duff
Second $50~ Connor Dillon

Albert G.Young Awards in Drawing
First $100 ~ Amanda Hubeny
Second $50 ~ Amanda Crow

Anna E. Young Awards in Relief Prints
First $100 ~ Brianna McCracken
Second $50 ~ Kira Schultz
Second $50 ~ Gretta Reed

Albert G. Young Awards in Photography
First $100 ~ Berhane Cole
Second $50 ~ Katie Frank
Second $50 ~ Tricia Richert

Beverly Bender Award in Sculpture
First $200 ~ Allison Levine
Second $100 ~ Evelyn Langley
Second $100 ~ Ryan Hansen

Anna E. Young Awards in Ceramics
First $150 ~ Alex Kemper
Second $100 ~ Elizabeth Ketchum
Third $75 ~ Caleb Thompson

New and Alternative Media
First $75 ~ Alex Robertson
Second $75 ~ Daniel Gonshorek

Dick Blick Graphic Design Award
First $250 ~ Alex Robertson

Best of Show Prize (selected by art faculty)
$300 ~ Mark Farrell

Beverly Bender Scholar Award (selected by art faculty)
$100 ~ Erin Duff

Issac O. Peterson Studio Program Award (selected by art faculty)
$100 ~ Rebecca Ott (prize in art supplies)

Student artists Rebecca Ott and Amanda Hubeny exchange
high-fives after each won awards at the 2011 Al Young Show.