Every spring semester, students of all majors apply to have their artworks purchased and displayed in the University Union, and out of this year’s 73 submissions, only two were chosen.

On Thursday, the 42nd annual Student Purchase Awards was held at the University Union Gallery to honor the work of students who had entered the exhibit.

The Purchase Award — the highest honor chosen to purchase by the Union —  is usually only given to one artist per year, but due to a record number of entries in the exhibit, an additional award was given.

Lauren Dineen, a speech-language pathology major, was announced the first Purchase Award winner of the night, winning with her piece titled “Topography,” while Madeline Hinrichsen won the second purchase award for her piece “Wakarimasen No. 1.”

“I’ve been into art for as long as I can remember — ever since I could pick up a pencil and draw,” Dineen said. “Although I didn’t choose to be an art major, I’m happy that I decided to keep art a part of my life and enter this exhibition.”

The Union will buy both winners’ pieces to be parts of its permanent art collection.

Rebecca Voorhees, the University Union Gallery’s design, identity and studio manager, said that each artist sets a price for their work and the university does its best to honor those prices after the judges decide who wins.

“Over a three-day period, students submit their artwork and we have judges that are professionals from the Sacramento community come in and judge all the artwork and help us decide which pieces will become a part of the show,” Voorhees said. “This year we had to turn away 30 entries from the exhibit because we simply couldn’t fit them all.”

In addition to the Purchase Awards, three “Best of Show” awards, along with cash prizes, were given to the top pieces in the exhibit.

Chosen by the judging committee, Dineen’s piece “Topography” also took home third prize. Forest Aliya placed second for “Moon Reflection” and Mustafa Shaheen won first place for his hyperreal painting, “Resting Sad Face”.

“I first started drawing when I was about two years old, and painting became a natural transition from drawing and doodling in high school,” Shaheen said. “I do a lot of really colorful portraits, so I decided to experiment with a piece in black and white since I had never done a hyperreal image like that before, and I think it really paid off.”

Voorhees said the purchase awards are meant to be an all-inclusive event to help unify the campus. She said that although the awards may seem aimed at those who are enrolled in an art major, anyone can submit their work and be a part of the yearly exhibit.

“While other art shows on campus are specifically geared (toward) art majors, the Purchase Awards are unique because they are open to anyone who is a student here and has a creative bone in their body, said Voorhes. “You could be a science major or a philosophy major and it wouldn’t matter.”

The 2017 Student Purchase Awards exhibition is open to the public in the University Union Gallery until April 20.