Record number of entries in 'competitive' high school art exhibition

Nearly 150 paintings, drawings, sculptures, photos, print making, ceramics, fibers and mixed media from local high school and junior high students will be on display Feb. 10 to March 17 as part of the 41st annual Exhibiting Excellence High School Exhibition at Crisp Museum on the Southeast River Campus.

"Only one time in our history did we try to do this -- on Super Bowl Sunday. One time. We haven't done it again," joked museum manager and senior curator Jim Phillips about the head-to-head confrontation with one of this nation's most-watched sporting events.

While walking through the individual pieces by students from Illinois and Southeast Missouri, Phillips said this year will be the largest high-school exhibit the River Campus has hosted.

And for that reason, this year's exhibit has been extended, he said.

"We're very full. There's great diversity. Every corner is filled," Phillips said. "Any tighter and we wouldn't be able to do much with it."

More than 300 entries were received for the exhibit this year, Phillips said, adding each school participating is allowed 15 entries per teacher. From year to year, the exhibit has been dominated by paintings and drawings, he added.

"Mixed media has been growing over the years, becoming the third largest category," Phillips said. "And the smallest category is photography."

He credits the longevity of the exhibit to "good momentum" at the very beginning.

"The high-school students get a lot of experience as to what a professional wants to see," Phillips said.

Selected artwork must be easily identifiable, original, creative and displayed appropriately, he explained.

Department of Art and Design instructor Carol Horst has coordinated the exhibit for 12 years, she said. Horst works closely with the museum each year to plan the event.

She said the exhibit aids in advocacy for Southeast's art department. It's also a testament to "what strong art programs" are present within Southeast Missouri and Illinois.

"Some people don't even know we're here," Horst said. "But if their child's work is here, they'll come. ... It's such high-quality work."

The show opens at 3 p.m. Sunday, and Horst and Phillips expect between 300 and 400 attendees, comparable to last year's opening day.

Phillips expects a "standing-room-only" crowd Sunday, and is prepared to set out "tons of chairs" to accommodate.

Southeast associate professor and exhibitions coordinator Justin Henry Miller served as juror for the exhibit this year, Horst said.

"He used to teach elementary (art), high school, and college now," she said. "So he knows what it's like being an art teacher in an art room and limiting budget and time."

Phillips said this year's exhibit included nearly 30 schools, compared to roughly 20 a few years back.

"So, it's growing," he said. "The kids get kind of competitive. The teachers get kind of competitive."

jhartwig@semissourian.com (573) 388-3632