For most artists, the chance to have their work recognized is an exciting achievement. Sacramento State students had the chance to do just that at the Student Purchase Award Show.

The show is an annual event that has been presented on campus for more than 30 years and has been open to the public for the last month. Besides featuring pieces selected by school judges, it gives students a chance to have their work purchased by local art lovers. Pieces are chosen based off the following criteria: artistic quality, adaptability to the rest of the University Union’s permanent collection and the relative price of the piece.

Tiffany Dreyer, Union Gallery manager, organized the show.

“This is unique because other ones that we usually have at the Union Gallery feature local professional artists,” she said. “In this one, the students get to show their work in the professional setting.”

If the artwork is chosen by the school to be presented at the show, the basic requirements are that it must be completely intact and must be able to stand on its own.

Michael Loden, senior photography major, is one of the students who entered the student show. His entry “Curtains” – a photo of a woman with a plastic box filled with lightweight scarves over her head – was first taken as part of his senior portfolio project and has won Best of Show from this year’s entries.

Loden said he took more than one picture of people with plastic boxes filled with items for his portfolio that perhaps could’ve been put together into one art piece. However, he felt that this one was the best of the bunch.

“This was the piece I felt was finished, and I didn’t want to put something in that I didn’t feel was finished,” he said.

The show features all kinds of artistic mediums from photographs to canvas paintings, sculpture and metal.

Joel Cuevans, freshman speech pathology major, said he likes seeing the creative nature of the entries.

“The one with the motor-oil dollar is just fantastic,” he said, motioning to a piece were the front of a dollar is printed by motor oil on a long canvas.

All the artwork was judged objectively by directors in Sacramento’s local galleries, who determined the Best in Show pieces.

For some students, the hope is that they get a chance to sell their work – not only to local buyers, but to Sac State as well. Each year, the school gives out two Purchase Awards to art pieces that will be bought by the university.

Loden said his work being purchased is not the most important thing.

“The biggest draw for me was to put on my resume that I was in a show that not everyone is accepted,” Loden said. “It helps build a reputation.”

Unlike some students, this is not Loden’s first show, or even his first award. At Sierra College in Rocklin, Loden once entered a Photoshop piece in an arts show featuring mixed media. It was there his work won an honorable mention.

“With shows, it’s an excellent opportunity to have people look at your work who aren’t connected to you,” he said. “And hopefully they’ll give you ways to improve.”

While in past years the show is used to having many pieces to display, this year there was a bit less than the usual number of entries. Dreyer said recent budget cuts have made marketing difficult.

Students who have visited within the last 30 days are already impressed by the work displayed.

“I think it’s really neat,” said Kim Pham, an undeclared freshman. “I’m not a big art expert, but I really like what I see here.”

Yet, when the student’s purchases are filed out and the lights dim, Dreyer believes she can close the show knowing that – at least in her mind – it was a success.

“It commemorates the hard work done by students and gives them a chance to grow and gain experience as artists,” Dreyer said. “That’s what makes it successful.”

The shows last day is Thursday in the Union Gallery.

Kyrie Eberhart can be contacted at [email protected]