Student Art Awards Ceremony at Western

ROCK SPRINGS, WY May 5, 2022 

Western Wyoming Community College recognized the best of student art projects on April 29 at an Awards Ceremony held in the Art Gallery. Surrounded by their art pieces, three Western students were recognized for the pieces they had created over the academic year.  

The ceremony showcased the very best of student artwork from this past year. The ceremony included drawings, paintings, photographs, prints, ceramics, and sculpture selected from 32 course offerings taken by 275 Western students. Prizes for the best works were presented during the awards ceremony on April 29. The recipients were Brooklyn Ollis, “Cozad”, and Zach Birch.  

Ollis won first prize for their photograph titled, “To the Soul”. When describing the processes behind developing the winning photograph Ollis explained, “The original pictures were for the profile assignment. I was kinda experimenting with what I wanted to do for my final project. In both photographs I put tape over where the eyes would be. Without the eyes you only get the expression. People say the eyes are the gateway to the soul, so when you take that away you’re just left with, to the soul.”  

Gallery Director and Assistant Professor of Art, Jacob Muldowney said, “I think I can speak for all the art faculty at Western when I say that we are very proud of the level of work that students have produced this year. It's an exceptional student exhibition. They've worked really hard to develop their technical skills, but they've also been open to experimenting and trying new things. I think that openness to experimentation is really exemplified by the variety of approaches and styles that you see in the student exhibition this year. Our students have a bright future ahead of them.” 

Cozad won second place for their charcoal drawing, Skylark. When asked about the name behind the piece Cozad explained that the drawing is of her cousin and, “...every time I text her, autocorrect changes her name to skylark, hence skylark.” 

Birch’s oil still life, Towering Still Life, won third place. These top pieces were a small fraction of the artistic talent on display with honorable mentions also presented on April 29.  

Some of the art student's work will be up throughout the summer. Due to graduating students, the full collection will not be available. The Art Gallery hours are from 8AM-5PM daily. The College is closed on Sundays. Summer hours may fluctuate.  

For more information on the art program or courses, contact Jacob Muldowney at jmuldowney@westernwyoming.edu. To learn more about Western’s Art Program, visit westernwyoming.edu/art. Fall registration is open and classes fill fast, do not miss your spot and register today.