As a recently retired faculty member I was honored to be asked to jury the UK SAVS Alumni Show - 10-year celebration. This is a mile marker for the School of Art and Visual Studies as it celebrates the 10-year anniversary of being in the SAVS Bolivar building and this alumni exhibit is held in conjunction with the celebration.
There are 53 artists who submitted over 173 pieces of art for this exhibit and there are 87 works selected to celebrate the occasion. Artists submitting work to this exhibit attended UK and were in the SAVS family from 2015-2025. They represent a variety of areas in the school; art studio, art education, and digital media, as well as various media that showcase their talents and creative energy.
It seems fitting to celebrate the10th anniversary by recognizing each of the artists who submitted work for the show as a way of showcasing the talent of recent SAVS students. Selecting works of art is challenging and with this exhibit it was more about choosing work or works from each artist that reflected their interest, knowledge, and ability with a specific media. Each artist had at least one work accepted for the exhibit. I was impressed with the variety of media and subject matter that was submitted for jurying. As a juror, I looked for work that echoed their artist statements (when written), and exhibited a level of technical proficiency, the artistic process and quality presentation of the work. Most importantly, for me, is a sense of the artists passion, commitment to their art form, and creative expression. The variety of media, materials, techniques and subject matter made the jurying an engaging process. The works represent the breadth and depth of creative knowledge and influences from SAVS studio professors and colleagues who were part of their creative journey while at UK.
-Marty Henton, professor emerita, exhibition juror
