The University of Delaware Lynn Herrick Sharp Award Exhibition

A Group Exhibition

March 31 - April 26, 2018

OPENING RECEPTION: Friday, April 6, 2018, 5 - 9 PM during Art Loop

The Delaware Contemporary is pleased to announce the Lynn Herrick Sharp Award Exhibition in a joint venture with the University of Delaware. This exhibition features the Lynn Herrick Sharp Award recipient and two honorable mentions granted to art majors in the final stages of pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree. 

Lynn Herrick Sharp is a long-time supporter of The Delaware Contemporary, having served as Secretary of the Board of Directors from 2002 to 2008. She is recognized as an Emeritus Board Member for her contributions to The Delaware Contemporary and for championing contemporary art in the region. 

In September 2009, she established the Lynn Herrick Sharp Award in support of the Fine Arts program at the University of Delaware's Department of Art and Design to help the recipient produce and document their work. The award is presented to an art major working in photography, sculpture, printmaking or painting. During the student's junior year, portfolios are submitted to the fine art faculty for award consideration. The recipient for the 2017-18 Lynn Herrick Sharp Award is senior Fine Art student Ana Jackson Chaves and the honorable mention recipients are Madison Bacon and Andrew Walcot Gayda. These artists will be exhibiting their most recent body of work at The Delaware Contemporary in conjunction with the University of Delaware Alumni Invitational exhibition.

Lynn Herrick Sharp Award 2018:

Ana Jackson Chaves focuses her work on the complex interconnectivity of humans and the environment. She uses ceramics, wood, steel, and paint to confront her subject matter ranging from the dichotomy of growth and decay to the unbridled power of nature. Vines, branches, and seeds often appear as motifs in her work inspired by the power and resilience of nature.

Honorable Mention:

Madison Bacon works in video, animation, and illustration. She received two summer scholar awards to create a graphic novel about a conflict between residents and immigrants in a magical desert world. This timely story features a cast of diverse characters that are either misrepresented or not represented in commercial media. In addition, her recent hand and computer drawn animation, "The Voices that Speak to You," delves into true coming out of the closet stories.

Honorable Mention:

Andrew Walcot Gayda's sculptures and videos are inspired by the offbeat creative insanity and wit he finds in pop culture. His work embodies humor and playfulness, the working parts of a fantastical imagination. Andrew's sculptures begin as illustrated characters drawn on paper and come to life as interactive sculptures. He works primarily with wood, found objects, paint, and video.

DuPont II Gallery