PSU student wins jurors' award at Art Institute Exhibition

Sky Emmons-Shaw, a senior Bachelor of Fine Arts candidate at Plymouth State University, received the Juror’s Award at the 2005 New Hampshire Institute of Art Biennial exhibition for his oil on canvas painting, “Kids.”

Biennial 2005 is a statewide competition for New Hampshire artists. This juried exhibition includes paintings, drawings, printmaking, sculpture and photography, and will be displayed at multiple sites at the Institute through December 15. Sixty-five pieces were accepted for the competition including two by Emmons-Shaw. At the Biennial he was congratulated for presenting “such sophisticated work” at such a young age.

“Sky’s paintings have a universal appeal. They incorporate accessible imagery while employing an open-ended narrative,"said PSU Associate Professor of Art Tom Driscoll. “In this exhibit,Sky was not competing against a student peer group, but some of the best artists from across the state.”

Emmons-Shaw says that as an artist he looks at the human condition, “the moments that contribute to defining the people we become.” He does this in part by cultivating personal memories, observing life and listening to music.

“When looking at my paintings, I think about how this moment we are witnessing is going to affect these people’s lives forever," he observed. "Will they be changed, scared, or is it just a fleeting moment?”