Mississippi Collegiate Art Competition Recognizes Two MC Graduates

Guy Stricklin

Mississippi College graduates Guy Stricklin and Derek Walker were showered with two awards at the Mississippi Collegiate Art Competition in Jackson.

At Saturday’s statewide program, Stricklin received an award for his print “Dunes’’ that was part of his MFA thesis he completed in December 2012 on the Clinton campus.

A graduate student from Madison in the MC Department of Art, Walker received an award for his creative logo that was used in the competition’s publicity materials this year.

The awards program at the Arts Center of Mississippi showcases the high quality of visual arts education taking place at Mississippi’s universities and colleges.

Ray Gregory, an MC art professor, said Stricklin’s award was well-deserved. “You continue to be a wonderful asset to the department, raising the bar for yourself and all those around you,’’ Gregory said of the Pascagoula native.“Your work, as usual, speaks for itself.’’

After receiving the award, Stricklin thanked the Department of Art and administration for their support when he was a Mississippi College undergraduate and graduate student. He also expressed his thanks for the department allowing him to teach printmaking and design courses this semester at his alma mater.

Stricklin presently teaches printmaking in the university’s new East Campus Art Studio, site of the former Clinton Junior High property.

Others adding their congratulations to both MC graduates included Graduate School Dean Debbie Norris, Art Department Chairman Randy Miley and art professor Steve Cook.

After reviewing 1,000 entries from ten colleges, Sarah Marshall, an art professor at the University of Alabama, narrowed the list and selected 188 pieces for inclusion in the exhibition. The exhibit in Jackson spanned such areas as sculpture, computer imagery, metal arts, photography, clay arts, printmaking, and drawing.

Walker was the recipient of the first award at Saturday’s program. After earning his bachelor’s degree in graphic design from MC, Walker is enrolled in the MFA graphic design program. Mississippi College and the Department of Art, he said, “deserve this award for the high standard they have instilled in me.’’

 Students from other institutions competing for awards included the University of Mississippi, Mississippi State University, Delta State University, Mississippi University for Women, Jackson State University, William Carey University and the University of Southern Mississippi.

The competition was created and hosted by the Mississippi Museum of Art in Jackson from 1950 through 1992. Since then, art museums, colleges and universities across the Magnolia State have hosted the event.