Reception honors winners of student art exhibit

5:12 p.m., May 12, 2004--A noontime awards ceremony held Tuesday, May 11, in the lobby of McDowell Hall, marked National Nurses’ Week and honored student artists whose paintings of medical subjects graced the lobby walls for the weeklong exhibition that began Thursday, May 6, and concludes Wednesday, May 12.

The ceremony was attended by Provost Dan Rich and President David P. Roselle, who handed out cash awards and congratulated each of the four winning advanced painting students.

“This exhibition is evidence of great teaching and talent,” Roselle said to the gathering of approximately 75 University students, faculty and staff. “Thank you for all your hard work.”

Also in attendance were Lisa Plowfield, Department of Nursing chairperson; Virginia Bradley, Department of Fine Arts and Visual Communications chairperson; and exhibition judges Janis Tomlinson, director of University of Delaware Museums; and Robert Davis, vice president for University development and alumni relations.

“The difficulty in judging was that there were so many entries,” Davis said. “The students are really to be congratulated for what really is an excellent showing.”

First-place winner was Lauren Placko, a senior from Clayton, N.J., who won $500 for “Comfort.” Part of larger body of work that Placko is completing for her BFA show, “Comfort” is a realistic oil depicting a mother comforting a sick child.

“When I thought about nursing, I thought about all the things that nurses do,” Placko said. “Nurses comfort people, and nurses heal people. I wanted to concentrate on the emotional end of nursing.”

Second-place winner was Mike Matarese, a senior from Wilmington, who won $250 for “Matter,” a mixed media abstract composed of acrylic, latex, ink, wax and thread stitched through canvas.

Third-place winner was Katherine Neale, a senior from Kennett Square, Pa., who won $100 for “Vital Signs,” a realistic oil of a nurse taking a patient’s pulse.

Nicole Peterson, a junior from Wimington, won honorable mention for “The Patient Is Gone,” a realistic oil of a hospital room interior.

Article by Becca Hutchinson

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