On an impeccable Friday summer night, June 14, the Idaho Watercolor Society came together for its 34th annual juried membership reception and awards ceremony for the 2013 watercolor exhibition. From June 8-July 11, the top 50 works of art from watercolor artists who reside in the state of Idaho will be on display in the Student Union Gallery on the second floor of the Student Union Building. These were selected out of roughly 200 entries by juror Stan Miller, whom is a nationally recognized artist. The works consist of a broad array of styles, techniques and subject matter that conceptualize the respective vision, imagination and creativity of the artists who entered to have their work put on display.
Because of the summer interval at Boise State, the turnout for the reception was largely made up of community members and members of the Idaho Watercolor Society. However, the community exhibition represents an increasing interest in the art community at Boise State. This is represented in the growing number of attendees at these sorts of receptions which average from around 100-125 people, depending on the time of the year.
The SUB hosts the 34th annual Watercolor Societies paintings. The exhibit represents the top 50 works of art from artists in Idaho. (Devin Ferrell/The Arbiter)
Throughout the application process of having work exhibited in the SUB Gallery, there are an array of applicants which consist of current students, alumni, faculty and community members. The Art Advisory Board, whom are affiliated with Boise State Fine Arts, are the final deciders in this application process. Over the last few years, there has been a sharp increase in applicants as the Boise State community continues to grow each year. The criteria for selection is predicated upon a variety of requirements, from stylistic elements to the actual amount of work the artists would be able or willing to put on display.
According to Holly Gilchrist, fine arts manager at the SUB Gallery and Bronco Gallery Store, this last application cycle, “Drew out the most applicants we have ever had before, in particular the student based apps ranging from undergraduate to graduate students.”
By the time the end of the night had come about and the awards for the top 20 pieces had been revealed by Miller, there was a sense of excitement for the upcoming exhibitions which will take place throughout the upcoming academic year as students will have the opportunity to display their work.
Amy Rajkovich, graduate student and employee of Boise State Fine Arts, described the rise in student involvement regarding students actively seeking to display their work, “A snowball effect has occurred, and once students started recognizing their classmates work, they then decided to then send in applications themselves.”
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