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Two students at the �������� earned awards for their artwork in a recent exhibition.

Mackenzie White, a Ceramics major from Binghamton, NY, received the President’s Award and Li Seagren, a Drawing and Painting major, from Chongqing, China, earned the Marion Art Gallery Award.

The awards were presented in conjunction with “See Through,” the fall senior show at Fredonia’s Cathy and Jesse Marion Art Gallery. White and Seagren were among the 10 graduating Art majors who participated in the exhibition, which ran from Dec. 10 to 15.

In White’s series of stoneware vessels titled “The Birds,” the soft organic shapes and textures juxtapose the harsh realities of nature and its brutality. The birds of prey engage in violent and destructive behaviors to illustrate the impulsive and unhealthy thoughts that occur when experiencing severe anxiety or depression. While nature is beautiful, it is also cruel and unforgiving.

Andy Karafa, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, chose White’s ceramic vessels for the President’s Award “because of the contrast the pieces offer, as described by the narrative. The interplay of the beauty and brutality of nature was well communicated, as was its connection to the artist's personal struggles with mental illness.”

Galley Director Barbara Räcker chose Seagren’s diptych from her “Flame” series for the Marion Art Gallery Award because of “the artist’s willingness to experiment and break the rules. The painting combines abstraction and realism in a unique way. Despite the flat drip abstraction, Li manages to create a sense of spatial depth with the position and angles of the sunflowers. The painting vibrates with bright colors and the juxtaposition of warm and cool colors.”

Coming from an authoritarian society in which citizens are not allowed to express themselves, Seagren said she appreciates the freedom the Department of Visual Arts and New Media as given her “to say something from the heart” with her paintings.

Räcker noted Seagren’s “Flame” series also brings to mind the Chinese proverb “Real gold does not fear the test of fire,” which means something authentic or genuine will not be affected by criticism, or that a person of integrity can stand severe tests.

Sponsors of the awards were the President’s Office and the Cathy and Jesse Marion Endowment Fund of the Fredonia College Foundation.