This week, a diverse collection of art was on display in the gallery and lobby of Ford Center for the Fine arts as part of the 2014 Al Young Exhibit. The annual Al Young Exhibit, the only juried show at Knox, saw more than 200 works of art submitted by students, representing a broad range of subject matter, style, and mediums.

"People are putting in their best work," said Gabe Moreno '14, a studio art major whose work was included in the show. "You not only have a comprehensive view of what the art department thinks is the best work, but the philosophy of art taught here."

This year, more than $3000 in prizes were awarded to artists in 12 categories. Each winner received $250, with the exception of the Al Young Purchase Award. This award, which adds one exceptional work to the Knox collection, earns the artist $500. Molly Olson, a senior studio art major, received the prize.

"The award was extremely unexpected! There are many deserving students, so I was blown away," said Olson. "It was wonderful to see so many get recognized and to be a part of that meant a lot to me. We are lucky to have such a supportive department."

John Dilg, the juror of this year's show, presented the awards at a ceremony on May 9. "I love looking at new work. It's why I teach," he said. "But the longer I looked, the harder it got to choose. My approach was how well the artist uses the medium and gets the message across." (Photo at top of page: Molly Loudon '15, winner of the Beverly Bender Sculpture Award, confers with John Dilg, juror of this year's Al Young Exhibit)

Dilg is a highly regarded painter whose work has earned him a Fulbright Grant, a National Endowment for the Arts Individual Artist Fellowship, and three Residency Fellowships at the Yaddo Foundation. He currently teaches at the University of Iowa.

"I particularly enjoyed having John Dilg here, he was very relatable and open," said Olson. "I felt he genuinely appreciated the experience and wanted to engage with students."

Bethany Larson '15 received the Isaac O. Peterson Junior Award in recognition of her promise as an artist. Larson, who credits much of her growth as an artist to her experience at Knox, says, "I love how open and supportive the professors are. With every critique, you learn something."

The Al Young Exhibit, now in its 46th year, is named by a 1969 Knox graduate and long-time teacher in Belleville, Illinois, who died in 1993. Young began making gifts for art prizes in 1968 while still a student. Since 1993, prizes have been supported by gifts from Young's sister, Ann A. Young '68. The awards are named in honor of their parents, Albert G. Young and Anna Elisabeth Young. Additional awards are made possible by Beverly Bender '40 and Blick Art Materials.

Photo coverage of preparations and award ceremonies from the Al Young Show is available a set at the Knox College Flickr channel.

Awards in the 2014 Al Young Exhibit

Al Young Purchase Award ($500) - Molly Olson
Al Young Ceramics Award - Bridget Doherty
Al Young Drawing Award - Conor Krause
Matthew Dale Gunther Drawing Award - Andrea Santoyo
Blick Graphic Design Award - Zoe Marzluff
Al Young Painting Award - Jaco Foster
Elda Crichton Campbell Printmaking Award - Ryan Hansen
Al Young Photography Award - Jiaqi Li
Beverly Bender Sculpture Award - Molly Loudon
Al Young Non-Traditional Media Award - Carolyn Dussault
Isaac O. Peterson Studio Award - Bethany Larson
Beverly Bender Scholar Award - Colin Coutts