Six graduating seniors in Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s School of Art and Design are preparing to compete for the university’s most prestigious art prize — the Rickert-Ziebold Trust Award.
The finalists were announced on March 7 and come from a variety of disciplines — art education, blacksmithing, communication design and metalsmithing. The exhibition is from April 15 through April 20 in the SIU Surplus Gallery, 432 S. Washington St., Carbondale. Winners will be announced at 3:30 p.m. April 15. A reception will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. April 19 in the Surplus Gallery, with the awards presentation at 6:30 p.m. The gallery is in the Studio Arts Building, formerly known as the Glove Factory.
Each year, seniors in the School of Art and Design, part of the College of Arts and Media, graduating from the fall semester to the end of the summer term apply for the competition displaying their knowledge and creativity gained throughout the years at SIU. The honor includes a substantial scholarship.
Sun Kyoung Kim, chair of the Rickert-Ziebold committee and associate professor of metalsmithing and jewelry, noted that in many cases this can be the students’ first experience with peer competition and professional evaluation.
“I am very pleased with the efforts by these students to put together a portfolio and showcase their work for the exhibition. I hope that many students and community members will visit the show and join us at the reception,” Kim said.
Award finalists
The finalists are:
- Lauren Clark, communication design, Murphysboro, Illinois.
- Clayton Curry, blacksmithing, Monticello, Illinois.
- Tam Gilker, metalsmithing, Webster Groves, Missouri.
- Carson Slaughter, metalsmithing, Chicago.
- Jessica Tosti, communication design, Clearwater, Florida.
- Nicole Zralka, art education, Frankfort, Illinois.
Longtime award
The purpose of the trust is to promote excellence in visual arts. The award was established 50 years ago by the Rickert family in honor of the late Joseph Rickert, an attorney and former state senator from Waterloo, to encourage young artists. Because of the Rickert family’s “vision, love of art, and confidence in the future,” the School of Art and Design is able to annually present cash awards to Rickert-Ziebold scholars.
Gallery hours
The exhibition in the Surplus Gallery will be open to the public from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 15-19 and 10 a.m. to noon April 20.
For more information, contact Sun Kyong Kim at sunkim@siu.edu or the Surplus Gallery at 618-453-7548 or sgallery@siu.edu.
Media Advisory
Reporters, photographers and news crews are welcome to cover the 2024 Rickert-Ziebold Trust Award reception and award presentation on April 19 at the SIU Surplus Gallery. The reception is set for 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., with the award presentation at 6:30 p.m. For more information, contact Sun Kim at sunkim@siu.eduor the Surplus Gallery at 618-453-7548 or sgallery@siu.edu.
