Denison University senior Hunter Hughes, from Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich., has been awarded the People's Choice Award for the Excellence in Visual Arts (EVA) competition of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Ohio (AICUO). Hughes, who works primarily in wood, says “I found ways to create, transform, and recycle wood into various forms of art, many of the pieces having a sense of fluidity and motion.” Hughes’ work is available to view online at aicuoartaward.com.
“In trying to envision site-specific sculptures, I have become interested in not only the sculptures that I was imagining, but also the architecture in which I was envisioning the pieces to inhabit,” says Hughes. “Interestingly enough, this interest in space and architecture has changed my emphasis away from my earlier works centering on motion and fluidity. Instead, my current pieces focus on obstructing spaces and bringing attention to areas that we might take for granted. I am currently investigating the architecture we encounter everyday, finding ways to alter or manipulate it and therefore challenge the viewer to see it in different ways. The end result is that my work becomes a total body experience.”
“Hunter is an incredibly hard working student,” says Micaela Vivero, associate professor and chair of the studio art department. “He is always in the sculpture room or in the woodshop working. Through his work he constantly shows himself as a thoughtful person, who is learning about the world around him.”
The EVA is the nation’s first intercollegiate online arts competition. It recognizes outstanding students from the art programs at independent colleges and universities in every region of Ohio. Launched in 2008, the EVAs use the Internet as a venue for the competition, providing each nominated student with a permanent online portfolio on the AICUO. The EVAs reception culminates the competition and the reception includes a student panel, an art exhibition presenting the six award winners, and an awards ceremony.
