Students on display

Bears, downtown Ybor, iPhone photos and naked bodies are among the artwork done by USF students in a campus gallery.

Thirty-two student artists are featured in the 34th Annual Student Art Exhibition and Art History Research Paper Competition in the Marshall Student Center Centre Gallery and the William and Nancy Oliver Gallery.

“I’m so thankful, and the galleries are so small, so not a lot of people got chosen. For the past three years, I’ve put work in and I’ve always gotten in,” said Jessica Luttrull, a senior majoring in sculpture whose artwork is featured in the exhibit.

“I just put in my best work, but it’s really cool to know that your work is being accepted by people that don’t know you or your previous work or thought process,” she said.

The gallery, hosted by the School of Art and Art History, will display pieces of student art of various mediums. Originally, the event was held in the Contemporary Art Museum (CAM) but was passed to the Centre Gallery two years ago.

Out of 70 applications and more than 100 pieces of art, only 32 pieces were selected.

For three years, USF alumnus Adam Kitzerow submitted work and was accepted into the gallery twice. But last year, he was asked to coordinate the event and has done so ever since.

“It’s a good experience for the artist to get accepted, and it’s really good experience to get rejected … As an artist, you have to apply to shows all across the country to get into these art galleries and shows,” he said. “You’re submitting something to someone who doesn’t know you and crossing your fingers with hopes they like it.”

Every year, the art department hires a juror from outside of the art department to help choose outstanding student work, he said.

Kitzerow still submits work to art galleries and encourages students, even outside of the art department, to submit work into the competition.

“The more applications we get the better the show will be. It’s one thing that doesn’t get out (of) the art department much,” he said.

Students had to apply by March 4 to participate in the gallery, but applications are available year-round for future events. For more information, call 813-974-5464.

Sabrina Hughes, director of operations, works with the Oliver Gallery to execute the annual event.

“The only requirement is that they be current students,” she said. “The event is open to undergraduate and graduate students in all departments. Mostly, the students are from the art department because they know it happens every year.”

The exhibition is on display in both galleries until March 26, when a reception and award ceremony takes place at 7 p.m. in front of CAM.