The Turner Presents Student Print and Clay Works April 26 – May 15

The 17th Annual Juried Student Print Exhibition & 10th Ink/Clay at the Janet Turner Print Museum will feature cutting edge printmaking and clay works by student artists, giving viewers a sense of what is happening in the art world right now.

The print exhibition, juried by art professional Jill Marie Mason, an artist who works in a variety of media, including print, photography, video, and installation, will run April 26-May 15 at The Turner Print Museum, located in Meriam Library.

The jury process is an important component of this exhibition because it gives students the opportunity to have their work viewed by an outside professional while showing it in a professional setting, said Turner Museum curator Catherine Sullivan.

“They can see themselves in relation to other artists while the juror gives them constructive criticism,” noted Sullivan. “For many it will be the first time they see their art with their peers.”

Mason teaches in the Department of Art and Design at Central Michigan University where she is the 2011-2012 Stephen L. Barstow Artist in Residence. She has completed residencies at Ox-Bow School of Art and Albion College and was awarded the Kate Cheney Chappell Scholarship in Graphics by the Haystack Mountain School of Craft.

Mason is currently creating artworks for an upcoming exhibition, “In the Dark,” that explores death in art and popular culture. While at CSU, Chico, she will work on a series of prints that relate to this exhibition.

A joint awards announcement/reception with the University Art Gallery, Taylor Hall and the BMU 3rd Floor Gallery, all of which are having student exhibitions, will take place May 4 at 5 p.m. in Rowland-Taylor Recital Hall (PAC 134).

Following the awards announcement, all galleries will be open to the public.

Many types of printmaking techniques will be featured in The Turner exhibition, including relief, intaglio, screen prints and ceramics.

Ten years ago the Turner curator decided to include clay works in this end-of-school-year student exhibition because both art forms share a sense of surface texture, detail, hand manipulation and color, said Sullivan.

“This exhibition, along with the BMU 3rd Floor Gallery and the University Art Gallery student exhibitions puts the freshest of student produced work into a two block area on campus,” said Sullivan. “If you want to know what artists are involved in right now, what they see as art dialog, you should come to all three exhibitions!”

As part of this exhibit a select number of prints by CSU, Chico printmaking alums will be displayed in the Ayres Hall first floor cases on the CSU, Chico campus, 1st and Salem streets.

The Turner is located in the Meriam Library on the CSU, Chico campus, adjacent to the Valene L. Smith Museum of Anthropology, and is open Monday-Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Groups and classes can go to the Turner website to make arrangements to view exhibits outside the public hours and docent tours. For more information, call Sullivan at 530-898-4476 or email csullivan@csuchico.edu.