Imagination Station exhibit at AUM offers opportunities for local emerging artists
A partnership between a local high school student and Auburn University at Montgomery will create opportunities for emerging artists to showcase their works in a professional exhibition space.
Harmony Koda, a student at Loveless Academic Magnet Program (LAMP) High School, has created the “Imagination Station” exhibit as a platform for unestablished artists in the River Region to showcase their creativity through painting, drawing, mixed media, photography, digital art, sculpture, and other forms. The exhibit is currently accepting submissions.
An art enthusiast since early childhood, Koda developed the idea for “Imagination Station” after showcasing her own art in an exhibition as part of a free digital illustration workshop for high schoolers offered during the summer by AUM’s Department of Fine Arts.
“My main goals for this exhibition are to allow amateur artists to feel more confident in their art and to create a greater appreciation for the artists in the community,” she said. “I wish to see more artists self-assured in their talents, especially teenagers who are experiencing confidence issues. I also want this exhibition to help adults, who may feel they should not do art because it’s childish, regain their confidence to create more art again.”
The partnership with Koda is one of the many ways AUM’s Department of Fine Arts is working to increase involvement in the arts in Montgomery’s River Region, said Department of Fine Arts Chair William Fenn. The department hosts free summer art workshops for high schoolers, encourages graphic design students to work on local government art projects, and invites high schoolers to visit AUM’s Cason McDermott Art Gallery throughout the year.
“Harmony’s call for entries for this exhibit and our ability to host an exhibition for emerging artists is an excellent way for us to continue our community support,” Fenn said.
AUM’s Imagination Station exhibit is open to artists ages 12-and-over residing in Montgomery, Elmore, and Autauga counties who have not previously participated in an invited and/or juried solo exhibition. Artists are invited to submit their original works created within the last three years for consideration. Selected works will be displayed in the Imagination Station Exhibition at AUM’s Cason McDermott Art Gallery from Oct. 8-31.
All entries may be submitted online by 5 p.m. on Tues., Sept. 3. There is no entry fee, and each entry must include an image of the artwork, as well as the title, medium, dimensions, date of creation, and artist contact information. Two-dimensional works must not exceed 28 inches on the longest side (when framed), and three-dimensional entries must not exceed 5 feet in height or width.
Artists may submit up to three works for consideration. Digital images should be 960 pixels on the longest side and 72 dpi, saved as a jpg file. Each image file should be named with the artist’s last name and the artwork’s title (e.g., Smith_the_shallows.jpg).
Artists will be notified via email of exhibition selections by Tues., Sept. 10. A panel of AUM senior fine arts students will serve as jurors and will determine Best in Show, second place, and third place finishers, who will be recognized at an exhibition reception.
For questions about the entry process or exhibition, email imagination.station.aum@gmail.com.
