UB Students Receive Art Awards

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Twenty-seven students in the art program in the Department of Visual Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University at Buffalo have received awards for their work during 2005-06.

Eight students received the Fall 2005 Morrison Scholarship. They are Jennifer Walsh of Lancaster, a sophomore; Kumiko Hotta of Buffalo, a senior in the bachelor of fine arts (BFA) program in photography; Siew Peng Celine Tan of Buffalo, a senior in the communication design program; Dmitry Borisov of Akron, a junior in the computer art BFA program; Andrea Swierat of Depew, a sophomore in the communication design BFA program; Kristian Mercado of New York City, a senior in the computer art BFA program; and Tara Bystran of Orchard Park, a senior in the painting BFA program.

Winners of the Spring 2006 Morrison Scholarship are Brian Moran of Baldwinsville, a senior in the computer art BFA program; Jeannine Swallow of West Seneca, a junior in the photography BFA program; Salomon Sylvestre of Peekskill, a junior in the BFA program; Jason Labarr of Tonawanda, a senior in the sculpture BFA program; and Brittany L. McCoy of Rochester, a sophomore in the BFA program.

Natalie Basinski of Lancaster, Barney Perry of Buffalo, Oreen Cohen of Rochester and Nicole Feliciano of Jamestown, all juniors in the painting BFA program, were selected to receive the Philip C. and Virginia Cuthbert Elliott Painting Scholarship for their outstanding ability and interest in the area of artistic painting. The cash award is based on the ability and overall merit of the student.

Feliciano also is a recipient of the first Alan E. Cober Scholarship recognizing excellence in drawing skills and concepts. It is named for the late illustrator Alan Cober, who taught at UB from 1987-96.

Oreen Cohen of Rochester also received a Spring 2006 Morrison Scholarship.

The Elliott scholarship was established with a grant from the late Virginia Cuthbert Elliott. She and her late husband, Philip C. Elliott, served for 30 years as artists and art educators in Western New York, including lengthy tenures at the Albright Art School and its successor, the UB Department of Art.

From 1941-69, Philip Elliott served successively as director of the art school and the first chair of the UB art department. Virginia Elliott taught art at both institutions from 1941-61. Both were a strong force in shaping the UB art department during its formative years.

Brenden King of Syracuse, a junior in the printmaking BFA program, has received the Sally Hoskins Potenza Memorial Scholarship. The Potenza scholarship was established by the family of Sally Potenza, who was a promising young painter pursuing graduate studies in the UB art department at the time of her death.

Dawn Exton of Perry, a senior in the general studio program, received the Carl E. and Virginia W. Sentz Memorial Award. Exton also was named the art program's Outstanding Senior.

Yuke Tjandra of Indonesia, a senior in the communication design program, received the Dennis Domkowski Memorial Scholarship, awarded to students in the communication design or computer art program who show excellent potential for design. The award was established by Professional Communicators of Western New York.

Allison Ernst of Cheektowaga, a junior in the communication design program, is the recipient of the Julius Bloom Memorial Scholarship for excellence in typographic study.

Toby Bloom Schoelkopf established the Bloom scholarship in memory of her father, who worked for several well-known printing companies but had a lifelong interest in the typographic arts and helped organize the first international conference on typographical arts in the mid-1960s.

Jessica Bauman of Tonawanda, a freshman in the BFA program, was selected to receive the Alan E. Cober Scholarship. The scholarship, recognizing excellence in drawing skills and concepts, is named for the late illustrator Alan Cober, who taught at UB from 1987-96.

Sara Barry of Tonawanda, a senior in the photography program, received the Townsend Award for excellence in photography. Barry also received a Fall 2005 Morrison Scholarship.

Jesse Horst of Clarence, a senior in the general studio program, is the recipient of the Eugene L. Gaier Excellence in Drawing Award. Kasia Keeley of Elmira, a senior in the printmaking BFA program, received the Eugene L. Gaier Printmaking Award.

Both awards were established by Gaier, UB professor emeritus of counseling, school and educational psychology, who has had a longtime interest in the arts.