Creative Campus

The Missing Ink arts e-zine wished to reach out to all student artists, not just art majors. Interns, Stephanie Summer and Andi Johnson had a desire to see all students engage in the arts and use The Missing Ink as a medium to convey their talents. In an effort to promote The Missing Ink, editors Summer and Johnson decided to host a series of contests to showcase student artists across the campus. "The Missing Art Contest" on January 14, 2009 hosted in the Bama Theatre's Junior League Gallery was the first of their contest series.

"The Missing Art Contest" was advertised heavily in the Crimson White before and also provided coverage after the event. "The Missing Art Contest" was also featured on WVUA. 

Summer and Johnson were pleased to have more than forty entries of 2-D and 3-D art ranging from digital art, acrylic paintings, watercolors and ceramics were submitted to the contest. The Junior League Gallery was a spectacle of color and imagination as it housed the impressive collection of student artwork. 

Musical entertainment was on hand for the event as the student musicians, the Mancayo Quartet, performed their collection of Jazz Standards. Violinist Derryck "D#" Gleaton joined the Mancayo band for improvisation and riffing that created a classy hip-hop feel for the audience.  

Judges for the event were professors Jim Morrison and Jamie Grimes of the Art Department and student Amanda Barnes, representing the Art Students League. The three judges chose a Best of Show winner "Cassandra" by Jessie Weaver. Weaver won $250 purchase award for her digital photo on canvas. Weaver was a Classics and Psychology double major at the time of her participation with "The Missing Art Contest". As a result of her involvement with the contest, she has since expressed interest in pursuing her passion as an artist and changing her major in support of her new direction.

During the night, audience members were given an opportunity to vote for their favorite art piece. The $100 First Runner-Up award was presented to Grace Tillman for “Soar,” a photograph of person parasailing. At the end of the night, Rachel Reynolds was awarded the $50 Audience Choice Award for her photograph, “Path in the Forrest.”  

“I had so much fun,” Reynolds said. “I loved the atmosphere and getting to meet so many people.” The audience turnout was an impressive crowd as more than two hundred people poured into the tight gallery throughout the evening.

You can read more about The Missing Art Contest and the winning artists at www.missingink.ua.edu.

Crimson White coverage