Art Show Reception

	Amanda Orozco places the Best of Show ribbon on her work, “Creation” at the MCC Fine Arts Student Art Show Competition reception.
	Amanda Orozco places the first place ribbon on her work, “Friends” at the MCC Fine Arts Student Art Show Competition reception.
	Ribbons in line at the MCC Fine Arts Student Art Show Competition.

With a winning three-dimensional design entitled “Creation,” MCC sophomore Amanda Orozco of Chunky, garnered the best of show - the John Michael Rushing Award - in the Meridian Community College Fine Arts Student Competition.
 
The awards reception was held Tuesday, April 26, in the Miller Art Gallery.
 
With the top award, Orozco received not only verbal accolades for her work; she was given $200 for her efforts for the “Creation” design as winner of the John Michael Rushing Award. The MCC Foundation under written the monetary awards; first place winners received $100; second place winners took home $50; third place winners gained $25 and honorable mention winners won $10.
 
University of Southern Mississippi Assistant Professor of Art James Davis judged this show that spotlights the works of MCC Fine Arts students. Orozco’s work will go into the College’s permanent art collection.
 
This 28-year-old MCC co-ed also won first place award in the graphic design entry for the work entitled “Friend.” But the awards kept coming; she was also a two-time honorable mention winner in the graphic design competition for the work, “Poe;” and in the three-dimensional design entry, “Aftermath.”
 
In addition to being a multi-category winner in this contest, Orozco won six Jackson-based American Advertising Federation Addy Awards; she earned accolades for her winning design of the Wings Over Meridian poster and was named Outstanding Graphic Design Student during this spring semester.
 
“This has been an awesome year for me,” said Orozco, adding, “It makes me realize that I’m in the right business.” After receiving her associate of applied science degree in graphic communication next month, Orozco aspires to work in an agency.
 
Other MCC Fine Arts students won in multi-entries in the MCC Fine Arts Student Competition. Dylan Brown won first place for his painting, “Politics.” Brittany Twilley earned a second place for her painting, “Still Life with Can.”
 
Elizabeth Brandenberg won first place in the ceramics division for her work of “Lost in Time.” Other ceramics category winners were Melissa Williams for “Zombie Mornings,” second; Jane Skipper for “Fluted Bowl,” third; Dylan Brown for “Shade” and Katie McCain for “Pitcher”, honorable mentions.
 
In the two-dimensional design category, Chase Cooksey won first place for “Face Value.” Josue Gonzalez won second and third for “Killer Chicken of Space,” and “Queen of Hearts,” respectively; Cooksey also won an honorable mention for “Jocular Elegance” and Ashley McDonald earned an honorable mention for “Bamboo.”
 
Emmett Calvert won first place in the drawing category for “Cube of Sadness.”  Gonzalez won second for “Bote Azul;” Twilley won third place for “Still with Guitar;” Amy Baker earned a honorable mention for “Feather and Cloth” and Twilley also won an honorable mention for “Still Life with Fruit.”
 
Gonzalez earned as second place for his graphic design “Mother Nature Goes Wild;” Amanda McDonald took a third place for “Honor Thy Mother;” and Sharlyn Burton won honorable mention for “Ein Stain.”
 
In the photography division, Davina Culpepper won first place for her untitled work; additional category winners were Shana Stanton, second, for “Wild Vines;” Christina Drinkwater, third, for “Light Balance;” and Katie Sims, honorable mention for “Reverse World;” and Culpepper, honorable mention for “Steel Loops.”
 
The final category, three-dimensional design, Sharlyn Burton won first place for “Green Thing.” Other winners were McDonald, second, for “Happy Sailing;” Penny Allen, third, for untitled; and Twilley, honorable mention, for “Poise.”
 
The show will be on display now through Thursday, May 5, in the Miller Art Gallery located in the Ivy Hall on the MCC campus. For more information, contact John Marshall, art instructor, at 601-484-8647.