Senior Art Exhibition Awards Announced

The 2017 Senior Art Exhibition awards were presented by Daniel McDonald, chair of the art department, on Thursday April 20 at the Coburn Art Gallery opening reception.

Alicia Jones was selected as the senior art award recipient by the AU art department faculty. Alicia's’s artworks bring light to the stigmas of difficult topics that many face or fear facing and the taboo nature of the individuals going through them to talk about them. Through discussing topics like depression, drug abuse, alcoholism, domestic violence, self-harm, suicide and eating disorders in her painting and ceramics installation, she focuses on the impact that families have on one another and the struggle to be honest about our problems with the ones we hold closest. Alicia's work highlights the behaviors of the parents and the often forgotten children who are watching and learning from them. The use of a dinner table setting 

Jones' shows the gathering of friends and family which is used within her work to suggest that a more open and honest atmosphere needs to be created.  

Jones, from Bellevue, Ohio, will graduate with a Bachelor of Fine Art (Painting Concentration), a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a minor in Art History. Jones attended Bellevue High School where she graduated with an Honors Diploma. She is the daughter of Florence and Jeffery Jones. At Ashland, she is a member of Art club, Knitting club and President of Psych Club. Her honors include being inducted into Psi Chi Honor Society, Omicron Delta Kappa and receiving Outstanding Sophomore and Junior of the Year for the Art Department. She has been a part of three Student Juror Shows and has displayed her work twice at URCA (Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity). She is extremely thankful for the opportunities of studying abroad with AU in Germany in 2015 and for the art department trips to New Year City and Chicago to view famous works. After graduation Jones plans to receive her master in clinical health counseling to become an art therapist.

Honorable Mention Senior award recipient was Ahmed Bondagjy, a Sadi citizen living in Ashland, Ohio. Ahmed is the son of Hussain and Sana.  Ahmed will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Commercial Art-Graphic Design and Fine Arts. Bondaigy was awarded a scholarship from the government of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia for his study at Ashland University. Originally, art was a challenge for Ahmed until it became his passion and he began embracing life to the happiest level. Ahmed is interested in art as a form of making an idea to come alive through design or sculpture. Ahmed was also the recipient of the sculpture award at the 2017 Juried Student Art Exhibition.

The Senior Art Exhibition runs from April 20-May 6, 2017.