Submission #5 Clayton Bever Junior, Telecommunications BS from Austin, TX “Easy does it” Mixed Media Clay was born and raised a Texan. Before moving out to college, he found a liking towards all things creative. Painting, tattoos, photography, writing, you name it. It was not until recently that Clay has had some success in sharing his art with others. Whether it be painting shoes, or commissioned strokes on a canvas, it simply seems like that's what he wants to do. And so, he does. Use the link below to cast your ballot online: tx.ag/ArtFestVoting

Submission #1 Allayna Benedict Freshman, Microbiology from El Paso, TX Gold Rush Acrylic Painting Originally, I intended for her to be drowning, but I never detailed the background and I added the tears instead. To me, she now represents the way I felt when I was younger and thought I'd be ripped from whatever truly made me myself. She was every feeling of imposter syndrome I had and every time I felt like I had no control over where my life was going. Use the link below to cast your ballot online: tx.ag/ArtFestVoting

Submission #14 Jaden Carmichael Junior, Psychology from Gause, TX Saved by Grace Oil Painting This painting as a whole symbolizes the spiritual journey I’ve undergone this past year. The wounds represent the sins that we are burdened with before we ask Christ into our hearts, as if we are the ones nailed to the cross paying the price of our sin. The reds represent the negative emotional influence of the enemy on our thoughts, thus the reason why the brightest shades surround my head. My body is devoid of any color, a physical metaphor for whichever side we choose (good vs evil represented by dark and light) is what we become, or how we are “colored in.” I am looking to the light ambiance, realizing that the only way to rid myself of the pain from the wounds is to be “Saved by Grace,” thus the title of the painting. This piece emphasizes that Christ is the ONLY way one who can save us from eternal torment in the darkness of hell. Use the link below to cast your ballot online: tx.ag/ArtFestVoting

Submission #31 Sydney Lemmon Sophomore, Visualization from Fort Collins, TX Uncertainty of the Eyes Charcoal drawing This piece is focused on pushing the boundaries of hyperrealism into abstraction. The true reality of this piece is a cup of ginger ale in a small airplane cup, but it is altered to prove how feeble the visual plane is. By zooming in on unique details a new reality can be easily created. However, there is another dimension to this piece. 2020 altered my perception to the point where I couldn’t be certain about anything. Two people could be looking at the exact same thing and get two completely different answers. Like looking at clouds, this piece demonstrates this uncertain reality where your mind tries to make sense of the image in front of you but struggles to find truth. Use the link below to cast your ballot online: tx.ag/ArtFestVoting

Submission #20 Noah Van Soest Junior, History from Jarrell, TX for the one with the short hair Computer Generated cold queen, ocean oar brief stopping life untitled (the blue gallerist) carve it on the wall; took both a black month or few now back, tangled up Use the link below to cast your ballot online: tx.ag/ArtFestVoting

Submission #19 Noah Van Soest Junior, History from Jarrell, TX MMMMMMMMMMMMMMUHY WHAY Computer Generated formed from the bones of one of my former pieces (cheekily named with respect to Angelo's fresco with Adam and the Almighty). Notes of honey, heat, hay, Pabst (NOT HEINEKEN), jarred tea and Senate hearings, Parisian crypts and white wine, a dash of turmeric and a spot of lime. And NO! (it's not for Sid) Use the link below to cast your ballot online: tx.ag/ArtFestVoting

Submission #43 My Grandmother Colored Pencil I've always adored drawing my grandmother. Her rich tones alongside her innocent facial expressions never fail me when creating a portrait of her. Drawing my grandmother is a form of displaying gratitude toward her. She is not only a grandmother to me but a best friend. Last November, she passed away. While she cannot be here physically, this drawing is an embodiment of her remarkable spirit and fluorescent presence. The story behind this photograph is far from dull. My grandmother detested having photos taken of her. One night the stars must have aligned because she allowed me to photograph her on a sunny day (finally). I shot photos on my phone like rapid fire knowing the camera in her countenance would become aggravating at any second. Somehow, I ended up with this lovely reference photo. I used Prismacolor on gray-toned paper for this drawing. The chief elements I used throughout this art piece were color, line, texture, and value. I utilized color to better express emotion and bring life to the portrait. Line was utilized to add texture and delicate detail to the garments she was wearing, and lastly, I used value throughout the entire piece to make the drawing look vivid. Use the link below to cast your ballot online: tx.ag/ArtFestVoting

Submission #3 An Trinh Senior, Biomedical Sciences from Dallas, TX Mirador Indichuris Photography On our trip to Ecuador, we stopped at multiple scenic places. At this one place called Indichuris, I took a picture of my friend with a view of the rainforest. This moment felt so simple and so grand at the same time; I really got to appreciate nature on this trip. Use the link below to cast your ballot online: tx.ag/ArtFestVoting

Submission #2 An Trinh Senior, Biomedical Sciences from Dallas, TX Mirador Indichuris Photography On our trip to Ecuador, we stopped at multiple scenic places. At this one place called Indichuris, I took a picture of my friend with a view of the rainforest. This moment felt so simple and so grand at the same time; I really got to appreciate nature on this trip. Use the link below to cast your ballot online: tx.ag/ArtFestVoting

Submission #38 Yanwen Chen Graduate Student, Visualization from Guangzhou, China Can you define it? Mixed Media How can you define a thing? I'm sure you've seen knitted items with a Ludo board game pattern. Will you define it as "blanket", “carpet”, "game board", or "artwork"? Artist Yanwen Chen will be happy if you touch, hold, and interact with this "thing" and have your definition.

What is ArtFest? ArtFest is the Memorial Student Center Visual Arts Committee’s annual art competition and exhibition. All Texas A&M students, regardless of major, are invited to submit their artwork in this one of a kind Texas A&M tradition. The students who submit artwork to ArtFest come from any major, any experience level, and any age. The top three pieces will receive a cash prize: first place $100, second place $75, third place $50, and film overall $100. Winners will be announced at a public reception on April 26 from 7 - 9 p.m. (all are welcome to attend). This year we received a total of 50 submissions from 34 different artists! Thank you to everyone who submitted to this annual celebration of creativity at Texas A&M! How are the winners selected? We invite you (yes, you) to help us select the winners. Please take time to consider all of the works on display for originality and artistic skill. You can vote for more than one winner, but please only submit one vote per work (in other words, don’t vote for the same piece multiple times). Scan the QR code or use the link below to cast your ballot online: tx.ag/ArtFestVoting