Studio Art Student Art Awards

The Newcomb Art Department is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2021 Studio Art Awards.

The Class of 1914 Prize in Art: Eden Weinstein

The first thing that struck me about Eden was her positive attitude and her willingness to think outside the box. Eden was willing not only to finish the task at hand, but to create something with quality and distinction.  She took constructive criticism well and was also willing to take the time to give a thoughtful critique of the work of others. I was constantly impressed with her ability to think and produce with a perspective both interesting and different from those around her. I feel assured that the qualities which caused her to thrive in the Tulane Art Department will be invaluable for her future endeavors.  On another note, I would like to add that I feel it important to reference her personal qualities along with her academic qualifications.  All in all, Eden is a unique individual with an extraordinary capacity to rise to any challenge handed to her.

            

The Alberta “Rusty” Collier Memorial Award in 2D Art: Elana Bush

During her tenure at Tulane, Elana has been a fixture in the photography area. Elana is a powerhouse. She is incredibly smart, makes beautiful photographs, and works incredibly hard. Additionally, the bar Elana sets for herself is exceptionally high and inspires everyone around her to be better and work harder to create. On top of all of that, she is generous. She is always willing to help her peers with a shoot or sit down to talk about their ideas. During her tenure at Tulane, she has become tremendously skilled in both digital and traditional practices and used these skills to explore ideas around queerness, digital spaces, censorship, and isolation. Her BFA show, Crescent, is poignant and visually lush. For Crescent, she documented the empty poetic spaces of New Orleans with her medium format camera and shifted the colors to create dreamy images of New Orleans shabby chic spaces. The images beautifully capture her love of New Orleans and the quiet beauty of our beloved city empty. Elana Bush has a bright future ahead.  

The Alberta “Rusty” Collier Memorial Award in 3D Art: Leo Fine

Leo is a dedicated, hard-working and creative artist.  He uses clear glass optics and traditional glass working techniques to create sculptures that represent both prehistoric and modern lifeforms and show the biological mechanisms that connect life together.  Leo sees sculpting natural forms in clear glass akin to sculpting in light.  Leo’s work challenges us to think differently, and he is most deserving of the Alberta “Rusty” Collier award.

The Sandra “Sandy” Chism Memorial Award in Painting: Murell Levine

The Tulane Painting Department would like to acknowledge Murell Levine for her exceptional commitment to painting. For Murell, the relationship between painting and life seem inseparable, partly due to the amount of time she spends in studio; but one also gets the sense that she carries that curiosity and excitement from the studio into the outside world as well. We have enjoyed watching her paintings evolve into a body of work so informed, yet personal. We are excited to select Murell for this year’s Sandy Chism award and look forward to seeing her paintings continue to develop.  

The Senior Honors Scholar in Studio Art: Jimena Padilla Pineda

Jimena joined the photo area in her junior year and landed directly on her feet. After just one semester, she successfully applied to receive her BFA in studio art, and immediately she was a force in photography. She has spent the past two years honing her craft both in film and digital photography and using her skills to intelligently think through image-making. Her BFA show, Conversations with Gen Z, combines portrait sessions with interviews, found imagery, and scans beautifully composited together to create poignant portraits of her gen-z peers. Her BFA show is supported by a beautifully written honors thesis that smartly outlines and examines ideas around generational identity, zeroing in on the gen-z generation in the time of covid. Jimena has proven to be an intelligent, critical, visually literate, and culturally aware image-maker.  

Juanita Gonzales Memorial Award in Ceramics: Kay So 

Kay So has distinguished herself as a young ceramic artist of particular skill, invention and energy. Kay’s exceptional work is complemented by her dedication to learning about all aspects of the clay studio. She is devoted to developing a detailed understanding of the chemistry of materials used in her work as well as the contemporary discourse of the ceramic art field. Kay demonstrates a deep curiosity about the potentials of the ceramic art medium and the initiative to test and explore the possibilities on her own. Definitely a strong presence in the clay studio, Her work is characterized by a clarity of shape and form, and a rich use of glaze surfaces.

Nell Pomeroy O’Brien Award for a Sophomore in Studio Art: Zachary St. Pierre 

The Newcomb Art Department would like to acknowledge Zachary St. Pierre for his exceptional work in Painting and Drawing. Last year Zachary demonstrated outstanding rendering abilities in his introductory courses. His interest and knack for form, color, and mark-making has developed into a series of optically complex and exquisite landscape paintings. We are excited to see what comes about in this nascent stage of his work and commend his hard work and enthusiasm.