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The Department of Art, Art History & Design’s annual juried student exhibition showcases exciting work from students across the disciplines. The show includes studio artwork in Drawing, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture as well as Graphic Design and Animation. Awards selected by guest juror Laura Biasden.

We thank all our award sponsors for their continued donations and support to our college and department encouraging our students to grow as artists.

2023 Award Winners

Huntsville Museum of Art Award 

Rain Lau – “Shroom Town” 

Art Club Award 

Sylvia Cortés – “Mis Padrinos”

Advertising Illustration in Graphic Design Award

Sol Knuble – “Endangered Alien Dog Show”

Advertising and Marketing Materials in Graphic Design

Jiana Bianca Sy – “Jossa Cosmetics”

Chris Taylor Sculpture Award, 2nd Place

Madison David – “Don’t Play with Your Food”

Chris Taylor Excellence in Sculpture Award, 1st

Tiffany Hawkins – “Growth”

Ceramic Sculpture Excellence Award

Mayte Aubel – “Wonderland”

Excellence Mixed Media Award

Lindsay Pritchard – “Smog in Nature”

Excellence in Digital Illustration Award

Shay Rascoe – “Untitled”

Erzulie Johnson-Veasey Painting Award

Maritza Gonzalez-Mojica – “Numb Inside”

Katie Baldwin Excellence in Printmaking Award

Sean Berry – “Dave”

Nick Lavenant Peasant T-Shirt Shoppe Printmaking Award 

Ruben Barrio – “Passion Drives Success”

Michael Crouse Excellence in Printmaking Award

Maddie McMeans – “Untitled”

Frances Robb Historic Photography Award

Jacob Chatfield – “Speak & I Will Question”

Southerland’s Photo Excellence in Photography Award  

Mikayla Hawkins – “Damage”

Nick Lavenant Peasant T-Shirt Shoppe Photography Award

Summer Goode – Mortal Relic

Huntsville Photographic Society Photography Award 

Adam Lott – Through All the Stops

Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies Award

Kay Cook – Modern Coition

Media Fusion Digital Animation Excellence in Modeling Award 2nd Place

Jaylah Alford – “Destiny 2 Hawkmoon Recreation”

Media Fusion Digital Animation Excellence in Modeling Award 1st Place

Sophia Stephenson – “1995 Polly Pocket Princess Palace”

Media Fusion Digital Animation Excellence in Animation Award 2nd Place

Jennifer Atchison – “Cabin at Dusk”

Media Fusion Digital Animation Excellence in Animation Award 1st Place

Celeste Davis – “HRSW69TH”

Intuitive Digital Animation Award for Best Video Game 

Amaree Moore – “Game Design Project”

Pinnacle Solutions Best in Digital Animation Award

Vaughn Oeth & Allison Jowers – “Purple Hours”

Mayor’s Purchasing Award

Sydney Hardenstein – “Raising Chaos”

Dean’s Award for Painting

Michael McGinley – “Over the Top”

Jeffrey Bayer Memorial Scholarship Award

Gabriel Schwepler – Body of Work – “Light” & “Body”

Student Excellence in Art Award 

Dylan Coleman – “Mélissende”

Provost’s Award

Ben Hornyak – “Ranger Bits”

Evans Best of Show Award

Stevie Evans – “Wheeler Wildfowl”

Photos from Awards and Exhibition

The Revolutionists

by Lauren Gundersen 

Directed by Amy Guerin

In a country divided between the haves and the have-nots, and facing the threats of domestic terrorism and civil war, four women come together to unite as a sisterhood and fight back using the magic of theatre. When deposed queen Marie Antoinette, playwright Olympe de Gouges, assassin Charlotte Corday, and freedom fighter Marianne Angelle join forces, the Reign of Terror will cower and a free France will rise. They hope. Fingers crossed. A comedy based on true stories, The Revolutionists is a play that will make you laugh, make you cry, and make you cheer: Vive la Femme!

“…a sassy, hold-on-to-your-seats theatrical adventure…

Presented by the UAH Theatre Program

THE REVOLUTIONISTS PROGRAM

The final event of the 2023 Dance and the Humanities series was held last week and focused on Ballet. In contrast to the previous events, this time attendees gathered off campus at the Mark C. Smith Concert Hall in downtown Huntsville. Thursday night’s event was an up close and personal experience at the dress rehearsal of Huntsville Ballet’s 2022-2023 season culminating show, Cinderella. 

The event began with Huntsville Ballet Artistic Director Phillip Otto leading an on-stage ballet class. The dancers stretched and practiced steps to classical music as well as instrumental versions of popular songs. During the class, Mr. Otto explained to the gathered students, faculty, and community members not only what movements the dancers were doing but also the meanings of the many French words he was using to direct them. 

Following the class, attendees were invited on stage to meet the dancers and pose for pictures. Moving back stage, UAH Theatre Professor and Director of Theatre David Harwell introduced the attendees to Backstage Crew members who are UAH students or graduates. He explained that UAH partners with Huntsville Ballet to provide students with professional experience working for a theatre Union. 

Attendees asked questions of Harwell, Otto, and the Crew that spanned the new wireless headsets the Crew were wearing to how the large sets were moved on and off the stage to how they apply material learned in the classroom to their work at Huntsville Ballet. “I think it’s extremely important for people to know what goes in behind the scenes!” said one attendee; “When you understand something as complex as dance a little bit more, it is a lot easier to appreciate, especially because it always looks so easy.”

Dance and the Humanities was sponsored by the UAH Humanities Center. The goal of the three part series was to bring together global and local artists to explore the intersection of dance and the human condition with a particular focus on underrepresented dance forms and artists. The series was co-organized by Dr. Dylan Baun (dylan.baun@uah.edu) and Dr. Jennifer Sims (jennifer.sims@uah.edu).

Congratulations to Grace Oswald (Senior Psychology and Biology Major) for being awarded a National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates (NSF REU). 

For this research internship, Grace will be able to apply her Human Factors research experience from Dr. Nathan Tenhundfeld’s ATTAC lab to conduct research in the Sociomobility REU at Michigan State University.

The National Science Foundation (NSF), one of the largest research funding agencies in the U.S., offers summer research internship opportunities for undergraduates in the STEM fields at universities across the U.S. These internships are highly selective, as they generally consist of 10 undergrads across the country per research project. Students have the opportunity to conduct hands-on research within their area of study under the mentorship of a Principal Investigator (PI); receive a stipend of around $5000 [differs among internships and universities] and housing. Students will also participate in professional development sessions outside of the research and can participate in a regional conference to present their research findings by the end of the summer. 

In addition to research, Grace is an Honors College Prevost Scholar, the Senior Resident Assistant at Frank Franz Hall, and a CAHS FYE-Peer Instructor.

Noah Breuer's mixed media prints, which include frottage, non-traditional supports, and cast paper, examine the visual legacy of his family's former textile printing business, founded in 1897 in Bohemia. In 1939 the company, along with all other Jewish-owned property in German-occupied areas, was confiscated and sold to Nazi-approved owners.  Most of these family members were killed in Auschwitz. In 2016, Bruer discovered records of family designs thought to be lost. The rich digital collection of these patterns and images has been a springboard for creating various printed works on paper and fabric, as well as installations and glass objects. These artworks resurrect the fruits of his ancestor's labor and reinterpret them through the artist's eyes.

For more information about the artist, click the link to visit his website: Noah Breuer

Photos from the Exhibition:

Friday’s severe weather subsided just in time for the second event in UAH’s 2023 Dance and the Humanities series. UAH faculty and students gathered in the Student Services Building Friday night to hear Broadway dancer & choreographer Chloe Davis, The University of Alabama Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre Alvon Reed, and St. John Paull II High School Drama Director Mari Adams discuss the iconic dance genre of Musical Theatre. The dialogue opened by tracing the evolution of the genre, from classic musicals like Oklahoma! to contemporary shows like Hamilton, and by discussing how dancing, singing, and acting synergistically combine to tell stories uniquely compared to traditional theatre.

Although the St. John Paull II Drama students were unable to attend, Director Mari Adams exemplified the saying that “The show must go on” by bringing a video of two of their past performances. The video clips were a natural segue to discussing approaches to teaching musical theatre, the impact of Covid on teaching, auditions, and performances, and finally, the benefit of musical theatre to participants and audience alike.

“Musical Theatre is meant to be live,” said Adams; “It’s a group experience.” Reflecting on the diversity of stories told via live musical theatre on Broadway and at community theaters and high schools across the country, Reed explained that the art form helps us to “see the complexity of the American experience.”

On Saturday, two dozen students from UAH, Alabama A&M, St. John Paul II High School, and Dance Theatre of Huntsville gathered for a Musical Theatre master class led by Davis. In addition to teaching choreography and working with students on technique, Davis also educated the dancers and audience on the history of the style of musical theatre dance they were learning. One participant commented that Davis’ “unique way of teaching the dance skills was awesome.” Another appreciated that the master class “Exposed me to something different and unique.”

The UAH Humanities Center sponsors the Dance and the Humanities series. The goal is to bring together global and local artists to explore the intersection of dance and the human condition with a particular focus on underrepresented dance forms and artists. The third and final event will spotlight Ballet. On April 13, Phillip Otto, Artistic Director for the Huntsville Ballet, will give a talk and lead a “behind the scenes” walkthrough with the dancers and creators of their upcoming show Cinderella.

For more information, please contact the co-organizers Dr. Dylan Baun (dylan.baun@uah.edu) and Dr. Jennifer Sims (jennifer.sims@uah.edu) or go to uah.edu/ahs/events

Photography major, Sean Berry, suffered a retinal detachment about three years ago. This was at the time when he would be taking his most important photography classes. Throughout his light therapies to regain vision, he found a new and more contemplative appreciation for "unfocused light, shadow, and color." Berry describes it as the "area in-between." The title here there be..., refers to what "was provided on ancient maps as a warning for unexplored territories of potential danger." Sean Berry's exhibit lets the viewer take in the subtle details but also see the photographs from the emotional state of the photographer.

For more information on the artist Sean Berry:

• Snapshots2.godaddysites.com
• @Seanberry208

Photos of the Exhibit: 

The 2023 Faculty Exhibit featured works from The University of Alabama in Huntsville's Department of Art, Art History & Design.  The show included creative pieces incorporating painting, mixed media, photography, and more.  For more information on our Department and Galleries, please get in touch with art@uah.edu

Sample Online Gallery of Exhibit

The 2023 Dance and the Humanities series kicked off last weekend with two events focused on the art and culture of West African Drumming and Dance. Friday night the international artists of Africa Nashville joined Huntsville’s own Dance Theatre of Huntsville for a panel discussion and dialogue. Saturday morning there was a community Masterclass.

About 125 people were in attendance Friday and the event was interactive from the start. Agathe Moubembé, Sory Diabeté, Mohamed “Dho” Cisse, and Ibrahima Dioubate, the four members of Africa Nashville, began with a drumming and dance demonstration during which they invited children in the audience to come forward to try some of the dance moves. The bilingual (English & French) panel dialogue that followed included the artists plus Windship Boyd, who is an artist, choreographer, and instructor of dance at Middle Tennessee State University. Among the topics discussed was the mutually constitutive and synergistic relationship between drummers and dancers in West African traditions. The panelists also talked about the important place of dance and drumming in their respective cultures and explained how these art forms are passed down as a tradition from parent to child.

Dance Theatre of Huntsville’s Performing Company demonstrated how this tradition continues to be a part of the culture of members of the African diaspora. The youth dancers showcased two dances, one that was more traditional and a second that blended elements of West African dance with US contemporary dance. During the dialogue, Monique Ryan, the founder and artistic director of Dance All Productions and Dance Theatre of Huntsville, explained the importance of passing on these traditions to African American youth in Huntsville.

During the Q&A, audience members asked questions that spanned the topics of dance, music, history, and sociology. One audience member said they “enjoyed the cultural discussion behind the dancing.” A reception followed, and children and grandparents alike took the opportunity to try drumming and dancing or to simply chat with the artists.

On Saturday morning, the CTC Exhibition Hall was filled with sounds of drumming and clapping as Africa Nashville led an instructional masterclass. While the others drummed, Dho Cisse demonstrated a number of choreographed steps which the attendees learned and practiced. One attendee said that, “It's so neat how even though there was a language barrier, dance was the only language we needed.”

About 40 people attended the Masterclass, including several members of the Alima Dance Company, the premier dance company at Alabama A&M University. They said they came to the Dance and the Humanities event because “We pride ourselves in being a diverse dance group. Ballet, African, tap, jazz. So any opportunity that is available we take it.”

Dance and the Humanities is sponsored by the UAH Humanities Center. The goal of the series is to bring together global and local artists to explore the intersection of dance and the human condition with a particular focus on underrepresented dance forms and artists. The next opportunity to learn about the history, culture, and practice of a genre of dance will be March 3 - 4 when UAH hosts a dialogue and masterclass on Musical Theatre dance. The final event in the series will spotlight Ballet and will be on April 13.

For more information, please contact the co-organizers Dr. Dylan Baun (dylan.baun@uah.edu) and Dr. Jennifer Sims (jennifer.sims@uah.edu), or go to uah.edu/ahs/events. 

Academic Affairs and the Faculty Senate are pleased to announce that Vincent Argentina, Associate Professor of Art, Art History, and Design, has been named Faculty Director of the Research/Creative Experience for Undergraduates Program (RCEU).

Professor Argentina teaches courses in computer animation, hard surface modeling, and game scripting and design, among other subjects. Professor Argentina runs the Commercial Arts and Technology Lab (CAT) in the Rotorcraft Systems Engineering and Simulation Research Center (RSESC) and has worked with colleagues across campus--including faculty in Education, Engineering, and Nursing--on collaborative projects concerning technology-assisted cognitive training in aging adults and VR training for defense projects. He has also served as a production designer for UAH Theatre.

Professor Argentina previously worked in the video game industry and brought that experience to our campus, coordinating the annual ChargerCon gaming and technology expo and helping to pioneer the Game Design and Development Minor. In his time at UAH, Professor Argentina has participated in numerous RCEU projects with students and we look forward to his leadership of this important program.

For questions about The Department of Art, Art History, & Design, please contact art@uah.edu