Kirtland Art Students Win State Competition
Two Kirtland art students earned major honors by the Liberal Arts Network for Development (LAND), a statewide network of community colleges in Michigan. LAND sponsors annual student competitions to recognize outstanding work in the liberal arts. This is the first year that Kirtland art students have submitted entries.
Paige Galbraith (St. Helen, MI) and John Morrison (Lewiston, MI) won top honors in two competition categories. Paige placed first for photography and second for her 2D drawing submission. John earned third place for his 2D drawing.
“Even though it’s my first year at Kirtland, I already feel at home here. Being a part of the art department has given me a chance to join a community of creative people. We push each other and encourage each other,” Galbraith remarks. “And winning these awards makes me feel even more confident about my art and my choice to be at Kirtland.”
LAND’s selection committee receives entries from students across the State, with top honors usually going to students from Michigan’s largest community colleges.
John Thiel, Kirtland’s Dean of Liberal Arts, represents Kirtland on the LAND steering committee and shares his excitement about this recognition for Kirtland students: “Past winners usually come from colleges with much larger art programs that have more faculty members. It says a lot about the caliber of Kirtland’s art program that two of our students earned top honors in such a competitive contest.”
Though Kirtland’s art program is small by State standards, it has a long legacy of student success.
“Kendall College of Art and Design actively recruits our students, and each year, we have art students who earn big scholarships and transfer to Kendall and other art schools,” explains Scott Rice, Full Time Faculty for Kirtland’s Art Program. “I couldn’t be more proud of the talented students that come to Kirtland and go on to do really amazing things.”
Beyond earning recognition by LAND, Galbraith and Morrison will also receive monetary prizes for their entries and present their work during LAND’s annual conference in February.
“I can’t believe that this is my last semester at Kirtland,” Morrison, winner of third place in the 2D category, states. “But, I don’t think that my journey with Kirtland will be over when I graduate. I’ve found the courage to be myself and make art that represents me. And, I’m going to carry that with me.”
Kirtland’s art program explores creative arts in 2D, 3D, digital, and traditional mediums and methods. Graduates of the program enter a variety of fields, from corporate marketing to studio production and illustration; others successfully transfer to art schools and universities.
To learn more about Kirtland’s art program, visit https://www.kirtland.edu/programs-we-offer/art-degrees.
