On Feb. 9, students and faculty gathered to hear President Kulaga announce the rules for this year’s Presidential Art Competition, which has begun for all students.
“As president, I receive dozens and dozens of presidents’ cards, and they tend to be fairly generic, so I wanted to do something different for Indiana Wesleyan, to stand out,” Kulaga said.
Kulaga said he visits the art galleries on campus as often as he can and appreciates the arts.
This year, students from every major can submit an art piece for a Christmas card. The piece must specifically relate to Advent, or from Gabriel visiting Mary to the arrival of the Magi. Students can submit as many pieces as they want, as long as they meet the guidelines.
The winning piece will serve as the cover of the IWU Christmas card sent to donors. The winner will receive $500, second place will receive $250, and the honorable mention will receive $50. The president personally donates the prize money. Participants must submit all of their pieces by May 26.
“This is where your art meets marketing. This is where art meets practicality,” Kulaga said.
The art must work as a Christmas card for donors. Art depicting an abstract composition may have less consideration.
Dr. Henrick Soderstraum teaches art and design at Indiana Wesleyan University
“I think it’s a great opportunity, it gives students a specific piece of subject matter to explore, and often, as artists, by drawing or painting something, we are prompted to pay more attention,” Soderstraum said. “I think, super encouraging for students to get an opportunity to put their work in a competition that has a great potential on the other side of it, of having their work printed. And that’s just wonderful.”
Ava Hooper, a junior at Indiana Wesleyan University, decided to attend the meeting after learning about the event from Dr. Soderstraum.
“Yeah, I think it’s really exciting, especially how it’s grown over time, because ever since last year, I heard a lot of people talking about it, and I know even more people who are planning to submit things now, so it’s unifying for the students,” Hooper said.
“Well, I just think it’s they need to know how much we appreciate and the contribution they make to our life here, sports is a very visible part of what we do here, academics sitting in classes, but the visual beauty that comes from the art galleries, not only the ones in the art building, but the one in the student center that I walk by all the time,” Kulaga said. “You know, can’t imagine a life without art, and they make a pretty valuable contribution to our life here.”
