A vital part of being an artist is entering works into juried competitions. Students at CSU Monterey Bay had the opportunity to do that, thanks to a generous donation from a faculty member.

A call went out for site-specific entries to be displayed in the Otter Express and the University Center. Three works were selected for the E. Richard Brown Award for Excellence in Art. The winning artists – Jorge Amezcua, Lori Van Meter and Victor Veltran – received cash prizes and stipends to pay for materials. Their work will be displayed for a year.

The three pieces will be installed on April 18. A reception and awards presentation is scheduled for 5 p.m., April 24, in the Visual and Public Art Department, Building 72.

“During my time here on campus, I haven’t noticed much student art displayed,” said Dr. Brown, who teaches a First Year Seminar and service learning classes. “So I thought, what if I were to make a monetary award to motivate the students to become more active in art and all of us would have the benefit of seeing that art?"

An experience he had while a student at UCLA motivated him to support the awards.

“I remembered how powerful it was when I was at UCLA and won the Frank Sinatra Award for second-place pop vocalist,” he said. “So I contacted Lila Staples (chair of the Visual and Public Art Department)” to offer the donation.

“It has brought incredible joy to my heart. My hope is that someone else will see what can be done and also give,” Dr. Brown said.

DETAILS:

Proposals were solicited for three locations:

• 3-D piece for display in the Otter Express rotunda. Award: $2,500

• 3-D piece for the University Center lobby. Award: $2,500

• 2-D piece for west wall in the Otter Express. Award: $1,000

The pieces will be displayed for one year. Students retain ownership of them.

Photo: Left to right: Jorge Amezcua, E. Richard Brown, Victor Beltran, Lori Van Meter