Work by Northwestern art major included in juried exhibition

Work by Ya-Wen Liu, a junior art major at Northwestern College from Taiwan, has been accepted for inclusion in the 2016 Nebraska National Undergraduate Juried Art Exhibition Sept. 2–23 in the Eisentrager–Howard Gallery at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. 

Liu’s piece, “Rollers,” is a monotype print created by painting, wiping or rolling paint onto plexi-glass, placing a dampened piece of paper onto the glass and running it through a press. She created the image during a printmaking course in the spring 2016 semester.

Since taking her first art class in fourth grade, Liu has continued to create for the last 12 years. “I really enjoy any kind of art because they all have different processes that teach you skills and produce different thoughts,” says Liu. “I enjoy creating, but I also like when people look at my art and understand what idea I am trying to get across.”

With help from her art professors, Liu framed and submitted her piece for inclusion in the exhibit. Undergraduate students from 26 states entered a total of 269 pieces into the 2016 competition.

“Ya-Wen has a strong design sensibility and terrific work ethic, and the art department is thrilled that she is receiving this recognition,” says Emily Stokes, assistant professor of art at Northwestern. “Pursuing creative opportunities outside the classroom is really important for art students as they look toward their futures after Northwestern.”

Each year, three different media disciplines are selected for exhibit. This year, artists were invited to submit pieces created using ceramics, photography and printmaking. Works for exhibit were selected based on their originality and artistic quality. Awards are presented for first place and Best of Show.