THE AWARDS

Best In Show

The title of the piece serves as a double entendre. On one hand, the image is made by large-scale woodcut hence the title “Wood.” On deeper inspection, the viewer can see the image is depicting someone showcasing their genitals, specifically a transgender man drawing emphasis on his enlarged clitoris. The enlargement of the clitoris, which occurs when someone with a vagina takes testosterone, is sometimes referred to as a “T Dick,” hence the double entendre of “Wood.” The scale and craftsmanship of print elevates the piece and, furthermore, elevates the use of trans bodies in the fine art realm. 

First Place

This piece was a thank you to all the sunsets I experience with friends at Kent State. There was a spot on campus that we referred to as “the sunset spot.” At the end of the day, my friends and I would race to see the sun before it set. I did a few watercolor studies that inspired the shape and surface of the piece.

Second Place

Oil-soaked gloves as feathers. Drowning in textile waste. Stained in toxins. Soiled. Stepping out into disaster. Natural materials warped with synthetics. Walking a tightrope over man-made damage—disgusting destruction. Pulling the colorful curtains over the pain. Hiding truths. Obscene mutations.

Third Place

This piece uses found objects such as an old Boy Scout drum, ice picks, flag bandana, and a metal form to address my political stance.

Honorable Mention

“Marriage Bonds” is part of Bridgett Crocker Emerson’s larger series about domestic violence in families, intimate partnerships, and marriages. It uses public domain art elements in photographic digital collage. As a survivor, she strives to make visible the invisible to educate others about abuse and destigmatize the suffering of those who have endured it.

Honorable Mention

Painted with wild abandon on a first visit to vibrant NOLA.

Honorable Mention

Honorable Mention

“Neon Static” expands the Neo-Glyph series into a frenzy of signals and symbols, where innocence collides with distortion. Flowers bloom beside fractured faces, jagged lines spark like interference, and colors flash between warmth and warning. The surface becomes a storm of doodles and warnings layered into a single pulse—playful yet corrupted, childlike yet apocalyptic. This work speaks to the noise of our age: overwhelming, bright, and impossible to ignore.

Honorable Mention

Gestural painting based on GroundWorks Dance Theatre dancers in rehearsal.