Clark University senior Ariela Sturgis, of Essex Junction, wins second place in juried art exhibition

Related Media

Ariela Sturgis is a senior at Clark University

WORCESTER, MA (02/18/2013)(readMedia)-- Clark University senior Ariela A. Sturgis, of Essex Junction, Vt., won second prize for her oil painting "White-Faced Monkey," in the ninth annual Colleges of Worcester Consortium Student Art Exhibit, a juried exhibition that opened on Feb.15 at the ARTSWorcester Aurora Gallery. The exhibition continues through March 21.

Sturgis was among three Clark student artists who swept the top honors.

The competitive exhibition showcases outstanding artworks by students from area colleges and universities, including Clark University, Anna Maria College, Assumption College, Becker College, College of the Holy Cross, Quinsigamond Community College, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and Worcester State University. This year, 67 works are on display. The top artists receive cash awards.

At Clark University, Sturgis majors in studio art with a minor in music performance. She is a member of the Clark Bars a cappella group and the Chamber Ensembles, Concert Choir and Chamber Choir. Her artwork has been exhibited in Frog Hollow, the Burren College of Art in Ireland, and at Acoustic Java in Worcester.

Sturgis is a 2009 graduate of Essex High School. She is the daughter of Gary and Miriam Sturgis, of Essex Junction.

According to ArtsWorcester, the annual student exhibition is "a rare opportunity to experience Worcester as a college town and to see its wealth of new artistic talent." Works in painting, photography, sculpture, paper and new media all are eligible for consideration by the juror. This year's entries were reviewed by Carol Keller, professor of art at Amherst College.

"This show provides a great opportunity – the first for many students – to submit work to a competitive juried exhibition, and in a professional venue," said Clark Professor Elli Crocker, who directs the studio art program in the Visual & Performing Arts department. "Their success in this juried exhibit demonstrates the quality of the work being created through our relatively small program here at Clark and how we can be competitive on a larger stage."

Sturgis and her fellow Clark students are now working on art thesis projects, which will be included in the 2013 Senior Thesis Exhibit during Clark's Academic Spree Day, April 24.

Founded in 1887 in Worcester, Massachusetts, Clark University is a small, liberal arts-based research university addressing social and human imperatives on a global scale. Nationally renowned as a college that changes lives, Clark is emerging as a transformative force in higher education today. LEEP (Liberal Education and Effective Practice) is Clark's pioneering model of education that combines a robust liberal arts curriculum with life-changing world and workplace experiences. Clark's faculty and students work across boundaries to develop solutions to contemporary challenges in the areas of psychology, geography, management, urban education, Holocaust and genocide studies, environmental studies, and international development and social change. The Clark educational experience embodies the University's motto: Challenge convention. Change our world. www.clarku.edu