The winners of the 2022 Annual Spring Student Art Exhibit and Competition at the Harrison County Campus were announced and celebrated at a reception and awards ceremony on April 27 in the fine-arts gallery.

“I had such a wonderful group of talented, creative students this year,” said 2-D arts instructor Cecily Cummings. “I’m so proud to see what they have produced and accomplished.”

Fine-art students competed in the categories of Drawing, Design, Painting and Computer Art.

In the Drawing category, Blake Sauls’ “Self-Portrait” won 1st place, while Lisa Tran’s “Still-life with Rat” took 2nd place. Vinh Vo’s “Duck Duck” and Madeline Love’s “Hailey” won Honorable Mentions.

In the Design category, Blake Sauls’ “Colored Fruit” took first place. Lisa Tran’s “Cloud” took 2nd place, while Honorable Mention were given to Madeline Love’s “The Mountains” and Ezabelle Janssen’s “Springing Forth.”

In Painting, Lisa Tran’s “Double” took 1st place and Lauren Forrester’s “Sunset” won 2nd place. Bethany Johnson’s “Personal Growth” and Lauren Forrester’s “Roast Beef” won Honorable Mentions.

In Computer Art, Megan Jordan took 1st place, while William Jasper took 2nd place.

The exhibit was judged by MGCCC fine-art alum Jasmine “Jaszy” Smith, class of 2016. The Biloxi- based freelance artist has illustrated countless children’s books and paint murals across five states in the Southeast since graduating. She enjoys drawing and painting bright, vibrant pieces inspired by both the natural world and the abstract.

Jaszy says MGCCC’s courses provided the foundation she needed to launch her business and maintain a large client base throughout her career. Without the instruction she received at MGCCC Jaszy does not think she could have made it, especially without the incredible instruction from the art department, which gave her the tools necessary to succeed.