Submissions to Yearly Student Art Show Double

By Rebecca Goldfine

Submissions to the annual Delta Sigma/Delta Upsilon Annual Student Art Show jumped this year, from forty-seven to ninety-four original, diverse, thought-provoking, timely, and often beautiful pieces.

Last year, the show received forty-six works submitted by thirty artists. For the 2020 show, fifty-five artists submitted a total of ninety-four artworks (some of which were series).

Former Bowdoin fraternity Delta Sigma/Delta Upsilon has supported a juried art competition for students for twenty-one years, awarding prizes to artists who have produced exceptional work.

Normally at this time of year, art covers the walls of LaMarche Gallery and nearby areas in Smith Union in anticipation of the ceremony that reveals the winners. Instead, Miriam Fraga ’18, assistant director of student activities, is showcasing all the submission in an online gallery, wanting to give each piece a chance to be seen by the public.

The three judges: Mariah Reading, Samara Namara, and Sarah Haimes — The three judges: Mariah Reading ’16, Sophia Namara ’16, and Sarah Haimes ’15.

Fraga marveled both at the quality of work and the increase in submissions. "Students are at home; they have a lot of time to focus on their art," she said. "It's terrible circumstances, but it's awesome we can have such a great art show come together, in spite of all this darkness."

The three judges of this year's art show—Sophia Namara ’16, Mariah Reading ’16, and Sarah Haimes ’15—sent out a joint statement after choosing their finalists and honorable mentions.

"While we were students, we looked forward to attending and participating in the competition every year," they wrote. "The DSDU Art Competition is a wonderful opportunity for valuable professional development and allows students to share their creative voices. During this time, we are delighted to provide a way for students to connect with each other and the greater Bowdoin community online. We were impressed with the strength of the work overall and inspired by the strong recurring themes exploring representation and self-declaration through a variety of mediums, subject matter, and artist statements."

Additional winners and honorable mentions were selected by Delta Sigma/Delta Upsilon alumni Liza Moore '81 and Peter Simmons ’78.

The top artists each receive a prize of $100.

See all of this year's submissions.