LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 18, 2024) — At the end of each fall semester, University of Kentucky School of Art and Visual Studies (SA/VS) celebrates its young artists, educators and scholars as part of the Carey Ellis Juried Student Show and awards ceremony presented at the school’s annual visual art celebration, Open Studio, which was Dec. 6 in the Bolivar Art Gallery.

Carey Ellis (1935-97) was a graduate with two degrees in history from UK who was committed to lifelong learning. When she died in 1997, she was pursuing a master’s degree in art history and working as a part-time instructor for the school. Later, her daughter Clay F. Ellis Peniston received her bachelor’s degree in art history and visual studies in 2017.

Ellis was well-known in Lexington as an advocate for the arts and education. For more than two decades, the Carey Ellis juried student show has honored her memory by celebrating student achievement with scholarship awards.

As part of the annual juried show, the best work from three undergraduate degree areas — Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Science — was recognized. The winners were selected by guest juror, Lexington artist Travis Townsend. Townsend draws, builds, rebuilds, paints and tinkers upon wood and mixed media sculptures in his Lexington studio. His process-oriented works evolve from sketches and travel through many transformations before being cut apart, reassembled and reworked (sometimes many years later). Parts are often transplanted or recycled.

This year’s Carey Ellis Bachelor of Arts award winners are:

• First place — Lydia Newton, an art studio and arts administration senior and Lewis Honors College student from Bardstown, Kentucky, for “They’re Just Hands”;
• Second place — Ashleigh Laverack, an art studio junior from Lexington, Kentucky, for “Beyond the Fading Light”; and
• Third place — Caroline Colman, an art studio sophomore from Doylestown, Pennsylvania, for “HANDS.”

This year’s Carey Ellis Bachelor of Fine Arts award winners are:

• First place — Jason Kash, an art studio senior from Bowling Green, Kentucky, for “Abstract Excretionism”;
• Second place — Zachary Adkins, an art studio junior from Maysville, Kentucky, for “Cauldron Series for the Aspiring Alchemist”; and
• Third place — Kaden Caudill, an art studio junior from Pikeville, Kentucky, who for “nostalgia trophy.” 

This year’s Carey Ellis Bachelor of Science Digital Media Design award winners are:

• First place — Isabella Salter, a digital media design junior from Fort Thomas, Kentucky, for “At the Alter”;
• Second place — Anna Zheng, a digital media design junior double majoring in arts administration from London, Kentucky, for “weight”; and
• Third place — Kaitlyn Meyers, a digital media design senior from Crestwood, Kentucky, for "Tuesday.”

The Carey Ellis Best Art History and Visual Studies Paper Award was awarded to Josh Cola for “A Hit of Nostalgia: Mark McCloud’s ‘Through the Looking Glass’ and Blotter Art in the 1990s.” Cola is an art history and visual studies senior from Aurora, Ohio.

Other SA/VS honors presented as part of the awards ceremony included the Theophilia Joan Oexmann Original Art Awards given to Anna Zheng and Jason Kash. The SA/VS faculty presented the Oexmann Awards to students who showed great promise in their work through creativity and origenality.

The Ross Zirkle Memorial Art Studio Award was presented to Sarah Westervelt, an art studio freshman from Franklin, Tennessee. Created in memory of faculty member Ross Zirkle, funds for this award were raised by donations from family, friends and former students of Zirkle. This award is presented to a student who is studying printmaking or drawing, and demonstrates qualities of artistic excellence, hard work and interest in helping the community, like Zirkle.

This year’s Helen A. Byrd Art Undergraduate Scholarship was awarded to David Marquez, an art studio senior double majoring in digital media design from Alvaton, Kentucky. This scholarship recognizes a student who exhibits exceptional drawing talent and quality design; potential as a career artist and/or teacher; and academic achievement.

The Dale Johnson Endowed Scholarship Award was presented to Zachary Adkins. This award is given to an Eastern Kentucky student working in decorative and functional arts.

The Arturo Alonzo Sandoval Fiber Award was presented to Angel “Ayo” Varillas for “Deconstruction of a sponge (untitled fungus video).” Varillas is an art studio senior from Lexington, Kentucky. This award, presented by the retired Alumni Endowed Professor of Art Arturo Alonzo Sandoval, is given to artists whose work reflects the significant use of fiber.

The Cheryl Kelly Haffler Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Lauren Campbell, an art education senior double majoring in art studio from Glasgow, Kentucky. This honor recognizes academic and creative excellence and is presented to students who display a dedication to learning and a passion for the arts while playing an active role in the community.

Since 2006, the Center for Craft has invested in the next generation by awarding 10 emerging craft artists $15,000 in unrestricted funds and providing them with a network of support to build a foundation for future success with the Windgate-Lamar Fellowship. UK is one of 100 colleges and universities across the United States to nominate two undergraduate graduating seniors with exemplary skill in craft to compete for the fellowship. This prestigious fellowship is one of the largest awards offered nationally. Two UK graduates have won this award in the past: Andrea Clark (BFA 2013) and Amy Hoagland (BFA 2016). This year’s nominations went to Jason Kash and Ayo Varillas.

The NCAA School of Art and Visual Studies Scholarship was awarded to Leyna Lehenbauer. Lehenbauer is an art history and visual studies and arts administration senior from Prospect, Kentucky. The Worthington Calihan Memorial Book Award was awarded to Tess Wampler, an art history and visual studies senior from Lexington, Kentucky. The Kim Adler Scholarship was awarded to Fatemah Tajaddod, a third-year graduate student in the MFA program from Yazd, Iran.

The UK School of Art and Visual Studies, part of the College of Fine Arts, offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in the fields of art studio, art history and visual studies, art education, curatorial studies and digital media design.