Hartsville, S.C. – November 13, 2017  –  The Coker College Art Club’s 45th Annual Student Exhibition and Competition begins on Monday, November 20, with a reception at 7:00 p.m. in the Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery in the Gladys C. Fort Art Building on Coker’s campus. The exhibit features a selection of the best student work from this past year and will be open for viewing through December 8.

Greatly anticipated by students, staff, and faculty, Coker’s annual student exhibition is designed as a competition and includes entries from both beginning and advanced students. Also, by design, the exhibition's judge is a professional artist from outside the Hartsville area. This year, the judge will be Hollis Hammonds whose drawings are currently on exhibit in the Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery. Hammonds will select all the art, assign place, and award prizes that have been donated by art manufacturers and suppliers. The judges for these shows are always given free reign regarding a show’s size and focus, and the resulting shows have ranged from large and inclusive to small, theme-oriented exhibitions. The selection process has always served as a stimulus for critical discussion.

Merit awards and prizes will be presented at the opening on November 20, and light refreshments will be served. The reception and exhibit are free and open to the public.

This year’s judge, Hollis Hammonds, received her B.F.A. in Drawing from Northern Kentucky University and her M.F.A. in 2D Studies from the University of Cincinnati. Hammonds is the author of Drawing Structure: Conceptual and Observational Techniques, and has had her creative work featured in multiple publications. She was awarded the grand prize for the Dave Bown Projects 14th Semi Annual Competition, and has been an artist in residence at McColl Center for Art + Innovation, Vermont Studio Center, and Atlantic Center for the Arts. She is an Associate Professor of Art and Chair of the Department of Visual Studies at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas.

The Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery is open 10am to 4pm Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and from 10am to 8pm on Tuesday and Thursday while classes are in session. The Gallery is located in the Gladys C. Fort Art Building on the campus of Coker College in Hartsville, South Carolina.   For more on the gallery, please visit www.ceceliacokerbellgallery.com.

Coker College upholds and defends the intellectual and artistic freedom of its faculty and students as they study and create art through which they explore the full spectrum of human experience. The college considers such pursuits central to the spirit of inquiry and thoughtful discussion, which are at the heart of a liberal arts education.