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CIA’s 65th annual Student Independent Exhibition (SIE), on view through March 26, features award-winning works in video, painting, ceramics, metals, glass, photography, artificial sweetener packets and more. (See photos of select works on our Flickr account.)

Local art collectors have already purchased several of the pieces in SIE 65, which is packed with beauty, color, skillful workmanship, whimsy, and statements on our culture from the next generation of artists and designers.

Among the most unusual pieces are a colorful wall display of artificial sweetener and sugar packets (“Splenda, Sweet-N-Low, Great Value Brand sugar” by Meagan Gehrke ’13), a ceramic dress (“Flower Dress with Diamonds” by Valerie Grossman ’12), a giant paper bag for wearing in case of embarrassment (“Open in Case of Embarrassment” by Debbie Christensen ’12), and a contraption in which two pencils are mounted above a paper (“Mail Art Drawing Machine” by Gary Wurzer ’13). When the contraption was mailed from Rochester to Cleveland, the motion of the trip caused in the marks on the paper.

This annual show is organized by a student committee, which chooses professional artists to jury the works submitted.

SIE 65 was juried by New York-based illustrator Yuko Shimizu; multidisciplinary performance artist Ben Kinsley ’05, who teaches at Carnegie Mellon University; and Cleveland-based ceramic sculptor Kristen Cliffel ’90. They discuss their process in a video that plays on a loop in the gallery.

SIE committee co-chairs Ivy Garrigan ’11 and Julia Chepke ’11, both seniors in CIA’s fiber and material studies program, curated the exhibition after the jurors chose 68 pieces from 257 submissions. Chepke and Garrigan, who both said they enjoyed the experience of curating and hope to do it again, will lead lunchtime gallery tours every Wednesday during the run of the show. (There will be no gallery tour March 9 due to CIA's spring break.)

Sponsors of this year’s SIE are Prizm -- the Artist’s Supply Store, The Metal Store, Mel Rose ’40, and Cuyahoga Arts and Culture.

SIE 65 Awards
Numerous supporters donated cash prizes, which were awarded to jubilant student-artists at the exhibition’s opening reception on Feb. 18.

The Sculpture Center Director Ann Albano and her husband, Albert Albano generously combined their personal gift with the gift from The Sculpture Center. The Sculpture Center/ Ann and Albert Albano Award for Outstanding Sculpture went to Valeria Grossman ’12 for one of the most unusual pieces in the show, “Flower Dress with Diamonds,” a life-sized dress made of chicken wire on a dress form and covered with ceramic shapes.

This year, the CIA Board of Directors collectively donated enough prize money for three awards, the largest of which is a purchase prize. Three board members volunteered their time and expertise to judge the works for the board prizes. They were Joy Praznik Sweeney ’58, a fine artist and retired executive from American Greetings; Meg Stanton, owner of Harris Stanton Gallery in Akron; and Rene Polin ’94, founder and president of Balance Product Development in Chagrin Falls, Ohio.

The purchase prize went to Valeria Grossman ’12 for “Flower Dress with Diamonds,” while the other two board prizes went to Michaela Lynch ’12 for “Curioser” and Stephen Basel ’12 for “Untitled.”

The Reinberger Galleries Purchase Prize Award, chosen by Reinberger Galleries Director Bruce Checefsky, went to Ivy Garrigan ’11 for “Writing Lines.”

The Mary Ann and Jack Katzenmeyer Award for Outstanding Craft went to two winners, Jackie Kennedy ’11 for “Untitled” and Kaley Turner ’11 for “Love & the Seven Deadly Sins.”

The Hal and Cyndy Goodwin Award #1 went to Michaela Lynch ’12 for “Curioser,” a video; the Hal and Cyndy Goodwin Award #2 went to Adam Markanovic ’12 for “Jackventures;” the Hal and Cyndy Goodwin Award #3 went to Alexandra Snowden ’11 for “Ma Skin;” the Hal and Cyndy Goodwin Award #4 went to Simone Schiffmacher’ 12 for “Burger;” and the Hal and Cyndy Goodwin Award #5 went to Ivy Garrigan ’11 for “Writing Lines.”

The sponsor’s award from Prizm --The Artist's Supply Store went to Nikki Woods ’12 for “The Mask.” The Sue Wall Painting Award went to Ryan Samples ’14 for “Family Vacation.” The Nottingham-Spirk Award for Outstanding Product Design went to Andrew Brase ’11 for “Honk if You Like This Piece.” The Almut and Gary Zvosec Award went to Julia Chepke ’11 for “Paper Hug.” The David and Ann Deming Award went to Ben Greene ’11 for “At the Stone Cold Heart of Things.”

SIE 65 Prizes
In addition to the cash awards noted above, the following local businesses and organizations donated in-kind prizes. A two-year membership to Spaces Gallery went to Gary Wurzer ’13 for “Mail Art Drawing Machine.” A gift certificate to Pacific East Japanese Restaurant went to Kyle Todaro ’12 for “Untitled.” General admission passes to the Cleveland Botanical Garden went to Steve Basel ’12 for “Untitled” and Leana Teuber ’11 for “It's Chilly in Here.”

Gift certificates to Prizm--The Artist's Supply Store went to Gabe Puerto ’11 for “Uneasy,” Debbie Christensen ’12 for “Open in Case of Embarrassment,” Kyle Todaro ’12 for “Untitled,” and Steve Basel ’12 for “Untitled.” A gift certificate from Dodd Camera was awarded to Adam Kujawski ’13 for “You Don't Know Me.” A gift card to The Bonfoey Gallery toward the purchase of a frame went to Paul Christopher ’13 for “I Now Pronounce You.”

WHAT: The Cleveland Institute of Art Student Independent Exhibition and weekly Gallery Tours
WHEN: February 18 to March 26, 2011
HOURS: Mon–Sat 10am–6pm; Fri 10am–9pm; Sun closed
GALLERY TOURS: Every Wednesday during the show (except March 9), 12:30–1:15pm
WHERE: CIA’s Reinberger Galleries: 11141 East Blvd, Cleveland
HOW MUCH: Free and open to the public
WHY: The Cleveland Institute of Art transforms art students into professional artists by facilitating their involvement in real-world art opportunities.