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Best in show honors went to Nevin NcMally for his self-portrait with his face painted like a clown, left, and Taylor Pitford for a pen and ink drawing of mushrooms.

CANTON, Mo. — “Growth,” a pen and ink drawing of mushrooms by Taylor Pitford, a senior from Montrose, Iowa, and a self-portrait with his face painted like a clown by Nevin McNally, a senior from Quincy, Ill., were judged best in show as part of the annual Honors Art Exhibit at �������� in May.

The exhibit highlights the top artwork created in an art department course at Culver-Stockton during the past academic year. Students may submit any number of entries, and the art department faculty selects the top 100. Juror Billyo O’Donnell, a plein air artist from St. Louis, was the juror who chose this year’s top pieces.

The President’s Choice was given to McNally for his oil painting of a dog. President Dr. Kelly M. Thompson selects a piece that will hang in the president’s office for the next year.

Steven Walker of Palmyra, Mo., won the Charles Meyer Award. Meyer, who died in 2012, started taking art classes at C-SC when he was in his late 80s, and his family annually provides a $100 award during the exhibit. The winner is selected by the C-SC art department faculty.

Keelie O’Brien of Kahoka, Mo., and Walker also shared the Virginia Carter Ahrens Award given to the most promising junior student.

Merit awards were given to:

• Megan Ferry of Kansas City, Mo., for her computer enhanced photo called “Abstract Landscape.”
• Max Phillips of Pittsfield, Ill., for her poster of the Icelandic rock band Sigur Ros.
• Walker for an oil painting of a self-portrait.
• O’Brien for a felt bowl.
• Markia McCullough of Hazelwood, Mo., for her acrylic painting of a self-portrait.

Honorable mention awards were given to:

• Christopher Peter of St. Peters, Mo., for his graphic design of a propaganda poster.
• Carlee Hummel of Pittsburgh, Pa., for her pencil drawing of a self portrait.
• Analiese Meany of Ewing, Mo., for her mixed media collage called “Keep Healing Nature,” a series of art and nature during a pandemic.
• Phillips, for her enhanced color photo of a student.
• Kerri MaGraw of Union, Mo., for her photo titled “Landslide Brought Me Down.”

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