ARTISTRY FROM THE HIGH SCHOOLS

Fiber piece by Jessica Donner, a 10th-grader at Sikeston senior high.

Sculpture by Matthew Nichols from Valley R-6 High School.

Last year, 598 works of art were entered in the University Museum's annual "Exhibiting Excellence" exhibition of work by high school students in the region. Almost double that number of entries were received this year.

"We are building momentum with the enthusiasm of the students and teachers," said Dr. Edwin Smith, a Southeast faculty member who has organized the exhibition all 21 years of its existence.

The exhibition opens Sunday at the museum with a reception from 2-4 p.m.

High school students in grades 10-12 from both Southern Illinois and a 26-county region of Southeast Missouri submitted entries. Juror Dennis Karl, who has bachelor's and master's degrees in art from Southeast and is now an administrator at Northwest High School of House Springs, chose 127 pieces for exhibition in the museum's East Gallery.

The work is divided into seven categories: drawing, painting, print-making, sculpture, ceramics, fiber and photography. Prizes will be awarded for first, second and third places.

The work is judged on originality, honesty of material and ability to complete a visual image, Smith said.

The exhibition is both a learning experience for the students, who not only create the work but mount and frame it, and a recruitment tool for Southeast. Many of the schools bring busloads of students to see the exhibition and tour Southeast art classes.

"It's a big thing for high school students to go into a college class," he said.

From the first exhibition to 1999's there has been a "tremendous progression of quality," Smith said.

When teachers and students come to the exhibition and see what other teachers and students have been doing "it has to change the attitude in their classes and maybe changes their curriculum," he said.