French impressionist Edgar Degas once said: “Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.” In other words, art is a subjective experience, and no one knows this better than the people of the art world. 

On April 25, the DVC arts community gathered for an awards celebration highlighting the immersive talents of several college students who have made breakthrough contributions to the field of artistic excellence. 

“Art is not meant to be just one thing,” said DVC art professor and gallery coordinator Arthur King in an interview with The Inquirer. “It’s a way of life, whether it be ceramics or prints or sculptures; that’s the beauty of art in general.” 

Every style of the art palette is welcomed: from ceramics to jewelry to animation to watercolors. While the pieces vary in style and medium, at least one piece is submitted for the limited gallery collection. 

The student pieces were judged by a faculty team. The judge panels change yearly, occupied by people from across DVC departments, excluding art for the sake of avoiding favoritism and bias. 

Despite the “all are welcome” attitude and atmosphere of the art showcase, that doesn’t mean there isn’t apprehension; putting something so personal to its creator out for others to witness can be just as nerve wracking as public speaking, according to King. 

“Just being able to come out here and put your work on display is winning enough,” he said of his students’ initial anxiety.

“The difference between keeping your pieces inside versus putting them on display is astronomical. But the reward is worth the risk.” 

Since as early as 1974, the DVC art gallery has been putting on exhibitions with the intent of letting art students come out of their shells as they learn to gain confidence and show off their skills. 

Arguably the most important and well-recognized award, the Student’s Choice, went to Tessa Nguyen, the proud creator of a mariachi cartoon-style sculpture, titled “Sofishticated.” 

Among the honorable mentions were a ceramic Medusa-look alike, appropriately named The Gaze; a monochrome photo of a little girl holding a marble titled The Eye Glass; and an upright black cat walking a pet mouse dubbed Cat’s Best Friend. 

The Student Art Show remains on display until May 5, when the event wraps up for the summer break.