Hosted by
League for Innovation in the Community College
League for Innovation in the Community College International Student
Art Awards Competition
Hosted by Santa Fe College
TABLE OF CONTENTS
FROM THE PRESIDENT
It is a tremendous honor for Santa Fe College to host the 39th annual League for Innovation International Student Art Awards competition. This celebration of creativity arrives at a particularly exciting time for our institution, as we prepare to mark the 60th anniversary of Santa Fe College.
Our college has been a catalyst for opportunity and growth, championing student success, expanding access to higher education, and remaining deeply connected to the communities we serve. As we grow our academic and workforce programs across the region, we remain committed to innovation, collaboration, and excellence in everything we do.
This year’s student art competition reflects that same spirit and highlights the incredible talent of student artists from across the U.S. The works featured in this collection challenge us to see the world differently and underscore the transformative power of the arts in higher education. I applaud the League for Innovation for their unwavering support of student expression in the arts.
Please join me in celebrating the creativity, vision, and dedication of these remarkable student artists. Congratulations to all who participated in this year’s competition. You inspire us all.
Dr. Paul Broadie II President, Santa Fe College
LEAGUE FOR INNOVATION
The League for Innovation in the Community College is an international nonprofit organization with a mission to cultivate innovation in the community college environment. To that end, the League provides exceptional opportunities for students through the pursuit of projects and ideas that promote innovation and creativity.
The League for Innovation International Student Art Awards, now in its 39th year, provides an opportunity for students at League board colleges to compete with their peers across North America and showcases a selection of the best works being created by today’s community college students.
Santa Fe College in Gainesville, Florida, is the host for this year’s international competition.
JURORS
Marco Hernandez is a Mexican Artist/Printmaker who currently resides in Kansas. He received his Master of Fine Arts from Kansas State University in December of 2015. After receiving his MFA degree, he was hired as an art instructor at Kansas State University and he became the Printmaking area coordinator for one semester. In the fall of 2016, Mr. Hernandez was hired as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Print Media at Wichita State University. He is currently still teaching at Wichita State University and his current position is Assistant Teaching Professor of Print Media and Foundations Coordinator.
Mr. Hernandez’s work has been exhibited in many national and international exhibitions, including the International Print Center New York, Delta National, Americas: Paperworks/All Media, and the Atlanta Print Biennial. His work has been exhibited in several countries, including Mexico, Canada, Colombia, Poland, and Croatia, and has received numerous awards, including purchase awards, merit awards, best of show, and solo show invitations.
Mr. Hernandez has also received two artist fellowships and has attended several artist residencies including the Vermont Studio Center, Zea Mays Printmaking, and Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts. The theme and imagery of his work relates to his culture and unique upbringing in the United States. Mr. Hernandez is very optimistic about his future as an artist and educator; he is determined to keep making art for the rest of his life.
Marco Hernandez
Lisa Iglesias
Lisa Iglesias’s visual research materializes through individual and collective projects with her sister, sculptor and assistant professor at University of California San Diego, Janelle Iglesias. As Las Hermanas Iglesias, the two make work that reflects their Dominican/Norwegian heritage, disrupts discipline categories, and often encourages audience participation. In addition, the sisters independently and collectively collaborate with their mother, Bodhild Iglesias. Recent projects with Bodhild include the translation of drawings into knit paintings and wearable sculptures and suits that Bodhild knits in measure with their bodies. Through individual and collaborative works, Lisa Iglesias’s goal is for the viewer to consider both various forms of time as well as the act of collaboration – whether with another person, community, architectural space, or material. She has been an artist in residence as part of her independent studio research at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, among others. Her collaborative eQorts have brought her to residencies, including the Fanoon Center for Printmedia Research (Doha, Qatar), Abrons Art Center Social Engagement Residency (New York City), Arizona State University, Stoneleaf Retreat (Kingston, NY), and 6ARI (Tasmania, Australia). Iglesias has exhibited at various spaces, including VisArts Center, 1708 Gallery, No Foundation, El Museo del Barrio, Queens Museum of Art, Islip Art Museum, and Orlando Museum of Art. Iglesias is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Art Studio Department at Mount Holyoke College (South Hadley, MA).
Millian Giang
Lien Pham
After trampling in the muddy rice fields of rural Vietnam, then wandering supermarket aisles in the United States, Millian Pham received her BFA in painting and printmaking from the University of Tulsa in Oklahoma and her MFA in sculpture from the University of Florida.
Pham’s art practice uses personal and cultural signifiers of her native Vietnam and adopted America in the mediums of painting, printmaking, sculpture, performance, and installation. She currently combines image with text to create a phenomenological effect of perceptual switching as metaphor for code-switching. Her visual research has been exhibited nationally and internationally in Canada, Pakistan, Korea, and the United States.
Pham was an artist-in-resident for the I-Park Artist Enclave, Hambidge Art Center, ACRE, Santa Fe Art Institute, and Virginia Center for Creative Arts.
She currently serves as the Art Editor of Broadsided Press, a Board Member of Strata Gallery, and the Vice President of Regional Programming for FATE. She is currently the Studio Art Foundations Coordinator and Assistant Professor of Art at Auburn University in Alabama.
Finian Long
South Seattle College, Seattle Colleges
BEST IN SHOW
Trompe L’oeil Cardboard Wall Clock
Teapot
and Cookie Jar Set
Underglazes, glazes
7.5” x 4.5” x 11”
This set deals with themes of time and materiality, contrasting the perceived temporary material cardboard with the actual lasting ceramic the vessels are made of. It was slab built spanning fall and winter quarters of 2024-2025.
Abdi Hamisi
Kirkwood Community College
SECOND PLACE
Freshman Year
Photograph
10” x 8”
This explores the emotions of starting college and wondering if you’re making the right choices in life.
Sofia Goodman Arbona
Austin Community College District
THIRD PLACE
Altar for Liberation
Oil on canvas
20” x 24”
In this time of ascendant fascism and cruelty, it feels urgent to articulate clearly what is broken and direct my attention toward imagining alternatives. I’m drawing attention to this through a new series of altar paintings. Each altar focuses on a theme that I consider essential for a more just world.
Alannah Laret
North Seattle College, Seattle Colleges
JUROR’S CHOICE
Mother Ocean
Shells, marine litter
13” x 8” x 10”
I use beach litter to show the plight, beauty, and resiliency of our oceans. Look closely at how we choose to care for our planet. Plastic trash becomes marine life habitat, almost indistinguishable from natural coral.
Elizabeth Toff
Anne Arundel Community College
JUROR’S
CHOICE
Lady Liberty’s Last Breath
Ceramic, wood, glass, fabric, enamel paint
18” x 18” x 6”
Lady Liberty represents the American ideal that anyone, no matter their economic, religious, or cultural background, can find success, security, and happiness in the U.S. This piece depicts the grief and desperation she would feel in response to the Trump administration’s draconian immigration policy — the waters that rise around her.
Jade Lanning
Rogue Community College
JUROR’S CHOICE
Healing
Digital illustration
1500 x 2000 pixels
A work about healing and the continued struggle to attain it.
Jesper Beckholt
Sinclair Community College
HONORABLE MENTION
Avert/Invert
Cardboard, pipe cleaners, labels
20”x 48”x 36”
My work explores the taboo, using playful confrontation to write colorful new mythologies. I’m drawn to life’s transitions, embodiment as personal meaning-making, and the holy struggle to connect, expand, and find ourselves within something greater.
Anita Patnaik
Foothill College, Foothill-De Anza Community College District
HONORABLE MENTION
Marigold Memories
Oil on canvas
20’’ x 16” x .625”
“Marigold Memories” is a poetic representation of my childhood.
Anne Arundel Community College Arnold, MD
Reese Keeran
Anne Arundel Community College
Self-Portrait
Charcoal
18” x 24”
I have struggled to find my voice throughout my life, and I find art to be a safe, comfortable way to do so. I have created art for as long as I can remember, full of passion for the process. I hope others find a similar comfort in my pieces.
Holly Mitchell
Anne Arundel Community College
Fake Fruit
24” x 19”
This drawing stands out to me as being surprisingly emotive. The title of this piece alerts the observer to the unsatisfactory reality. Now that you know the plum cannot be eaten, do you view the artwork differently?
Charcoal
Lia Roa
Anne Arundel Community College
Light House (Screenshot)
Stop motion animation
1280 × 720 pixels
I want to get better at showing my work to other people.
I think this is a good place to start. I want to show it to the public instead of keeping it hidden forever.
Link to animation: https://youtu.be/sLWDjpIhSjw
Mary Ruesen
Anne Arundel Community College
Frozen
Digital photography
19” x 13”
I look at how my photography professor’s work is layered with meaning. Now that I am becoming more technically proficient, I am starting to create images that explore things I am curious about, images that are meaningful to me.
Elizabeth Toff
Anne Arundel Community College
Lady Liberty’s Last Breath
Ceramic, wood, glass, fabric, enamel paint
18” x 18” x 6”
Lady Liberty represents the American ideal that anyone, no matter their economic, religious, or cultural background, can find success, security, and happiness in the U.S. This piece depicts the grief and desperation she would feel in response to the Trump administration’s draconian immigration policy — the waters that rise around her.
Avery Connett
Austin Community College District
Oonagh Lunas
Stoneware
45” x 25” x 16”
Oonagh Lunas is my most recent work exploring feminine wisdom and resilience. I am drawn to abstract, organic figures. The flower-figures, whose stems are conjoined at their base, also depict a symbiotic coexistence. These floral bodies remind us to dissolve boundaries between self and other, and bloom wide with combined life forces.
Aran Gharibpour
Austin Community College District
The Art of Sailing
Oil on unstretched canvas
50” x 80”
My pieces depict abstracted bodies in their struggle to emerge and float, craving/resisting submergence in their background world. The flesh is present but unpronounced, recognizable yet not in focus. The familiar elements of the figures are suspended, yet their presence cannot be denied. Lightness and transparency unite the body with the ostensibly less significant environment and the compositional choices invite the viewer to reconsider the body from a new angle. The figures and objects ooze out of space as accidental elements within a landscape, even as landscapes themselves, and invite the viewers to rethink their participatory role in creating boundaries.
Sofia Goodman Arbona
Austin Community College District
Altar for Liberation
Oil on canvas
20” x 24”
In this time of ascendant fascism and cruelty, it feels urgent to articulate clearly what is broken and direct my attention toward imagining alternatives. I’m drawing attention to this through a new series of altar paintings. Each altar focuses on a theme that I consider essential for a more just world.
Hector Hernandez
Austin
Community College District
Self
I’ve always struggled with mediums that allow for much detailed modification of colors and transitions of value. Whether it be pencil, paints, or charcoal, I find myself enjoying black inks to create tones and texture, and this piece was the first instance where I used white inks for a larger project. Primarily functioning as a practice of utilizing what I am already familiar with, along with the use of toned grey paper and ink I’ve been mostly unfamiliar with, I created a detailed self-portrait that blends feelings not of this reality, all while recreating a more interesting rendition of a photo of myself.
Ink on paper
18” x 24”
Ayaana Khawaja
Austin Community College District
New Foods: July 2006 - February 2025
Ink on paper
18” x 24” each
My relationship with trying new foods has been a struggle, but over the last few years with some help, I’ve been getting better. My artwork depicts a timeline of new dishes I’ve tried throughout my life so far.
Cleveland, OH
Benjamin Chen
Cuyahoga Community College
Blonde
22” x 28”
This self-portrait investigates the duality of adherence to structure versus personally gestural expression. My reflection in a mirror serves as an objective scale upon which many layers of oil paint accumulate. The tension between observed reality and free abstraction asks what makes a person recognizable, both to others and ourselves.
Oil on canvas
J. Patrick Joyce
Cuyahoga Community College
Connie at Work
Charcoal on paper
14” x 10”
The work of most artists, visual and performing, resides in their hands. Sometimes delicate and nuanced, other times demanding forceful precision. The bassoonist’s hand requires both actions; to delicately flick the appropriate key and to muscularly contort to reach and cover the sound holes to complete each sonorous expression.
Ju Yin Lin
Cuyahoga Community College
Echoes of Heritage: A Journey to Tjimur
Watercolor and crayon on paper
13” x 17”
After my parents passed away, I journeyed to Tjimura remote, permit-only mountainous region in Southern Taiwan - to reconnect with my ancestral roots. There, I met an elderly aboriginal woman selling handmade jewelry, inspiring my watercolor and crayon work that captures her gentle dignity and timeless beauty.
Jacquelyn Luczywo
Cuyahoga Community College
Quiet Bloom Ceramics
10.5” x 5.5” x 4.75”
Capturing moments from my global travels and personal experiences, I transform memories into art.
After a 20-year hiatus, I am rediscovering my passion, refining my skills, and exploring the depths of my creativity through multiple mediums.
Ashley Robusto
Cuyahoga Community College
Ya Ha Ha! You Found Us!
6 hand-thrown stoneware
13” x 8” x 6”
Inspired by the forest spirits of Hyrule, this ceramic set channels the magic of Koroks, guardians of the Great Deku Tree. With organic shapes and earthy textures, each piece captures their ancient mischief and quiet wisdom, celebrating the mystery, wonder, and hidden magic of nature’s playful protectors.
Kristi Hassell
Dallas College
Blue Opal Dinnerware
White stoneware and mid-fire glaze
10” x 10” x 1”
8” x 8” x 1”
6” x 6” x 1”
This dinnerware set is made from Cinco Blanco clay slabs formed over plaster molds. The clay is then trimmed and smoothed and glazed with Coyote Opal glaze and fired to cone 6.
Carla Morlock
Dallas College
Bromeliad at Sunrise
Reduction linocut
9” x 12”
I am not trying to make a statement of any type; I enjoy art for art’s sake. I love using flowers as my subject matter because nature is the greatest creator of design and color. I don’t think that I can equal nature in creativity, so I only hope that I can represent nature in a novel way.
Marlen Sanchez
Dallas College
Leave for Later
Black and white charcoal on gray tone paper
18” x 24”
This work was made to recreate real objects from life by only using black and white charcoal on gray tone paper.
The entire process was purely based on observational skills with the objects in sight at all times.
Angeli Madrid Santos
Dallas College
Lake in Heaven
Adobe Illustrator
10” x 10”
For my class assignment, I remixed the Harley Davidson logo and, for the colors, I just came up with my own because I felt it would be a good fit.
Janet Vidales
Dallas College
Divine Evolution
Ceramic, glazes (triptych)
16” x 10.25” x 10.5”
16” x 12” x 12”
10.5” x 11” x 10”
It all began with the idea of creating different types of mushrooms. After executing my main idea, my work became more personal. The women around me inspired me to create mushrooms in the form of a female body. I aim to make women feel more powerful, beautiful, and accepted in any form they inhabit.
Delta College University Center, MI
Maryn Brown
Delta College
Still Life
Oil on canvas
20” x 16” x 1”
This is a still life exercise done from direct observation.
Cheryl Cronkright
Delta College
Bristol X-370
Bristol board
6” x 4” x 3.75”
The paper camera came together after I imagined it flat like a pattern. I am the last of the family picture keepers, I put them in my art whenever possible in hopes that they may live on. Thrilled to incorporate an old picture of my great grandmother in the viewfinder.
Amanda Edmondson
Delta College
Return to Nature
We are all trying to find our path in life, yet life has no path, no set programming or guild. Sometimes we struggle and want to give up along the way; those struggles are part of the process. It’s what we do with that struggle that can become something beautiful.
Ceramic
18” x 40” x 20”
Emily Rivera
Delta College
The Cut Below
Oil on canvas
Oil painting of my friend Wylo, capturing the silly sinister pose made.
12” x 16”
Lindsey Welch
Delta College
A Hollow Place
Digital, Illustrator
8.5” x 11”
I’ve had a long-time fascination with stories and how they can capture the imagination. This illustration was inspired by a haunting piece of fiction of a similar name, and my goal was to recreate the atmosphere and sense of dread within that book.
Foothill-De Anza Community College District
Los Altos Hills, CA
Jay Gall
Foothill College, Foothill-De Anza Community College District
Desire
Mixed media archival digital print
42” x 32” x 4.75”
“Desire” is a postmodern piece inspired by the works of artists Chuck Close, Marilyn Minter, and David Hockney. Though initially conceived as a painting, then subsequently as a photograph, the artwork was reinterpreted through a contemporary lens to recast artistic elements of line, shape, and color.
Sachiko Gillot
De Anza College, Foothill-De Anza Community College District
Eyes
Colored pencils on Canson Mi-Teintes drawing paper 12” x 16”
I am inspired by the natural world, observing plants and animals. I also reflect on their connection to humans. My creative process often begins during casual walks in nature, where I discover themes that explore both the strength and fragility of our irreplaceable environment. Nature reveals not only its beauty but also its vulnerability, reminding me of our responsibility to protect it. As an art student, I strive to express the interaction between nature and humans. For this project, I chose to depict my own eye observing the small creatures in my backyardhummingbird, squirrel, lizard, butterfly, and ant.
Anita Patnaik
Foothill College, Foothill-De Anza Community College District
Marigold Memories
Oil on canvas
20’’ x 16” x .625”
“Marigold Memories” is a poetic representation of my childhood.
Sydney Steese-Bradley
De Anza College, Foothill-De Anza Community College District
Self-Portrait
Charcoal and Conté crayon
18” x 24”
This self-portrait is one of the first finished pieces I‘ve done in charcoal. At first it was a struggle to capture my own likeness, but I feel that I was ultimately able to create something that feels authentically me. Realizing I wanted to demonstrate more of my personality and inner self, I was inspired by Junji Ito’s “Uzumaki” to add spiral motifs to the background; although in this manga spirals evoke feelings of unease and madness, I see them as playful and even calming. Sanguine conté allowed me to add warmth to the piece and incorporate my favorite color, orange.
Jeffery Thomas
Foothill College, Foothill-De Anza Community College District
Tatzelwurm
Low-fire glazed ceramic, mason stain
20” x 18” x 15”
“Tatzelwurm” is a journey of personal growth through trauma. The artist is a third-year studio arts, sociology, and psychology major. He is interested in the science of creativity, intersectional theory, and uplifting neurodiversity. His work examines change at the hands of human consumption, transphobia, homophobia, ableism, and the experience of trauma.
Jackson College Jackson, MI
Jessica Furman
Jackson College
Songbird’s Sky
Watercolor
5” x 7”
My watercolor piece is a pink, cloudy sky with my favorite songbirds to express the liveliness and serenity that nature brings out as I birdwatch. I painted the Song Sparrow, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Red-winged Blackbird, Swamp Sparrow, Bluebird, Baltimore Oriole, Cedar Waxwing, American Goldfinch, Chickadee, and Tufted Titmouse.
Monica Gazdecki
Jackson College
Memento Mori
Charcoal
14” x 18”
Remember death. So intertwined within our lives and buried deep inside our minds. This artwork seeks to combine this aspect of death, depicting with bones, while also showing the fruit of life, an apple, wrapped up within the folds of time and the shroud of mystery that surrounds our existence.
Lana Kay
Jackson College
Lurid
Collage with magazines, acrylic and watercolor paint, decorative adhesives
12” x 9”
Through my art, I aim to challenge restrictive narratives and highlight the complexity and vulnerability of the human form. I strive to create work that is both deeply personal and universally resonant, inviting reflection on how we view, discuss, and celebrate embodiment in all its forms.
Miriam Schroeder
Jackson College
How You Perceive It Is What You Will Get
Photograph
18” x 12” each
My photographic work is primarily focused on landscape and nature. I enjoy exploring forestry and mountainous regions. I started creating so that I could share my love for the beauty of nature with others through my imagery.
Hayley Smith
Jackson College
Always Eve
Terracotta clay
6” x 2.5” x 3”
This piece is inspired by “Eve (After the Fall)” by Rodin.
At first, it seemed like she was melting into a mass she couldn’t escape. I made my reflection of Eve seem more desperate, fighting to get unstuck only for her efforts to act against her.
Overland Park, KS
Bugsy Feather
Johnson County Community College
Dance Circle
Raku fired ceramic 5” x 11” x 11”
My work becomes what I need it to be, and what I needed in November of 2024 was community. I like to celebrate the experience of being a beautiful, soft-bodied animal trying to exist in a “human” world.
Charleigh Shea Fouraker
Johnson County Community College
Magic 8 Ball Bolo Tie
Hammered copper, dyed rope, cut billiard ball
12” x 4” x 1”
This bolo tie represents sustainability, upcycling, maximalism, and, most importantly, a milestone. This is the first box I’ve ever made as a metalsmith and I will continue to create more in the future. Sustainability is important to me as an artist. The billiard ball and rope are both thrifted, altered, and combined to create a new entity.
Jordan Kniss
Johnson County Community College
On the Run
Inkjet print on paper
22” x 15”
When I photograph, I notice what is unique around me in the moment when otherwise things feel ordinary and mundane. I approach my photographic process almost as if I am completing a painting - noticing all the elements and waiting for the final piece to fall into place. The running man was that last piece.
Audrey Kowalewich
Johnson County Community College
Tactile Steel
8” x 9” x 8”
Inspired by the potential of a junk drawer full of misfit bolts, nails, and discarded car parts, I was able to recycle once forgotten scraps and give them a new life in this piece.
Ashley Rottinghaus
Johnson County Community College
Collection of Memories
Mixed media
6” x 9” x 1.5” Memories are something that change each time they are recalled. I am interested in exploring childhood memories through the lens of my current experiences. With layers of built textures, I am experimenting with how to display the fleeting and intangible nature of memories.
Kirkwood Community College
Cedar Rapids, IA
Faith Dickson
Kirkwood Community College
Reverence
Stoneware
16” x 11” x 9”
As a Christian-raised artist, I often felt the need to water down my opinions, make myself desirable to God, and submit to my male church leaders’ guidance. This piece explores the resentment and anger that hides behind a carefully constructed facade made to please others and protect oneself.
Abdi Hamisi
Kirkwood Community College
Freshman Year
Photograph 10” x 8”
This explores the emotions of starting college and wondering if you’re making the right choices in life.
Jake Panek
Kirkwood Community College
Blondie
Digital photograph
14” x 9.33”
The artist is a photographer from North Liberty, Iowa, studying at Kirkwood Community College. His work conveys intimate emotions through portraits and industrial landscapes.
Piers Renfer
Kirkwood Community College
Spontaneous Interests
Acrylic 24” x 18”
Making art is the best part of portraying human expression and no one should be able to take that away from you.
Madison Wassmer
Kirkwood Community College
Epiphany
Glass
12” x 9” x 5”
“Epiphany” was just what I needed: big piece, big dreams. I had recently been accepted to the Pilchuck School of Glass for the summer semester, and imposter syndrome hit me. This piece was the proof of concept for the rest of my career.
Maricopa Community Colleges Tempe, AZ
Blaine Ashby
Paradise Valley Community College, Maricopa Community Colleges
Spine Cups
12” x 5” x 5”
My work is inspired by the themes of comfort and discomfort. I chose to combine those two themes in the medium of ceramics. The comfort aspect is in the mug itself. It represents having a warm mug of tea after a long day of work. The discomfort portion is represented in the design of the spine, and the mugs being precariously stacked together.
Angelique Bailey
Paradise Valley Community College, Maricopa Community Colleges
Femme Fatale
Metal knife, liquid light
10” x 14” x 10”
I am a multidisciplinary artist specializing in experimental photographic processes. Recently, I have focused on Liquid Light, a photographic emulsion that can be hand-coated onto various surfaces. My piece, “Femme Fatale,” features the piercing gaze of a feminine sitter, which has been exposed onto three uniquely handcoated kitchen knives.
Kai Emerson
Paradise Valley Community College, Maricopa Community Colleges
Foundation of Woe
Sumi ink
26” x 37” x .5”
My work uses sumi ink, a Japanese ink, and my inspiration comes from two Japanese artists: Takehiko Inoue and Yoji Shinkawa. The topics I make art about revolve around my Native American heritage and the common struggles indigenous people face after the process of being colonized.
Elise Hill
Paradise Valley Community College, Maricopa Community Colleges
Heatwave
Color process photograph various
“Heatwave” is from a session I did using only film. Pushing myself not to rely on digital cameras forced me to slow down and be more intentional about posing and composition. This photo represents the direction I have taken over the past year of exploring film.
Mitzue Trujillo
Paradise Valley Community College, Maricopa Community Colleges
Mujeres - The Uterus
Ceramic
24”x 18” x 10”
This powerful piece represents the uterus as both a symbol of femininity and oppression, while offering light and hope. Intricate, flowing lines form the womb, painted in warm, radiant tones of pink, gold, and red, evoking vitality and creation. Beams of soft blue, purple, white, and yellow light break through, representing resilience and the enduring hope for change. At the center, a faint flower and light hints at new possibilities, leaving viewers with a sense of both reflection and optimism.
Monroe Community College - SUNY Rochester, NY
Leora Blum
Monroe Community College - SUNY
White Rabbit
Acrylic
31” x 31”
This painting of a vase and flowers was originally thrifted. The artist has given it a new life through the theme of Alice in Wonderland.
Keith McDonald
Monroe Community College - SUNY
Predestined Meandering
Copper wire, pipe, anodized aluminum
18” x 16” x 16”
Stemming from my lifelong appreciation and enjoyment of trees. An absolute necessity for life, serving as the lungs of the earth, a sanctuary for countless species and natural regulators of biology. Through my art I hope to (re)ignite a curiosity and admiration for the symbiosis we share with them.
Lake Spaulding
Monroe Community College - SUNY
Mind’s Eye
Graphite and charcoal on paper
24” x 36”
These portraits explore the disconnect between the self projected externally and expressed internally. Control and confidence are contrasted with the bizarre and frantic, especially in the direction of gaze. The eyes stare at the external projection, studying the mask that hides the erratic figure.
Colby Upham
Monroe Community College - SUNY
freakSHOW
Video/audio
1920 x 1080 pixels, 5:00 minutes
In a world filled with those who are so sure of what they want to say or do, it is important, now more than ever, to turn the lens back on ourselves and realize our role in its creation. Not him or her, but you and me.
Link to video: https://rb.gy/k43t10
Peter Weeg
Monroe Community College - SUNY
Dead Inside
Charcoal, Conté crayon, plywood, clothes
44” x 26” x 3”
The theme of this piece is that we put on a professional, responsible front to hide the pain we internalize. The creation of my art makes me physically hurt and ache, but I must continue creating or else the emotions will stay hidden inside like a tumor.
Valley Community College
Palos Hills, IL
Moraine
Sabrina Feo Bessone
Moraine Valley Community College
Three of Swords
Mixed media
8.5” x 11”
The tarot card “three of swords” represents cheating, relationship problems, betrayal, etc., which I found perfect for the text provided to us. The text tells the story of a woman who was blindfolded in a relationship and she finally opened her eyes and saw the monster.
Shaher Jalouqa
Moraine Valley Community College
Illustrator
11” x 8.5”
This artwork, with its chaotic black strokes over an intense red background, embodies raw emotion, channeling themes of rage, turmoil, and uncontrolled energy. The abstract style evokes a visceral response, emphasizing the explosive and unpredictable nature of human emotion in its purest form.
Mariel Lenart
Moraine Valley Community College
Glowing
Pastel, graphite
18” x 24”
This is a self-portrait. I wanted to show a glowing effect to signify the good around us that we can not see.
Madalyn VanEngen
Moraine Valley Community College
9” x 13” x 6”
Inspired by the ever-worshiping four-headed, four-winged angels in the Bible called cherubim, this coil vase was my attempt at bringing my Christian faith into my artwork. Through hours of planning, setbacks, and successes, I have learned so much about my craft and, more importantly, myself.
Cherubim
Ceramic
Jack Walsh
Moraine Valley Community College
Pure Panic
20” x 16”
While I was on a hike with my friend, I told her a lie about this one really bad manager coming back and took a picture of her panicking about it.
Photograph
Rogue Community College Grants Pass, OR
Adam Collins
Rogue Community College
Ian McKellen
Portrait of Ian. Created by a fan of his work and life.
Charcoal on paper
17” x 27”
Rebecca Glauser
Rogue Community College
Alternative Cover for Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
Digital illustration
various
Redesign for the novel Frankenstein. An assignment for Graphic Design 2 class.
Jade Lanning
Rogue Community College
Healing
Digital illustration
1500 x 2000 pixels
A work about healing and the continued struggle to attain it.
Aimee Sausedo
Rogue Community College
Satyr
Digital illustration
various
This is a 3D representation of a character from my personal novel in progress.
Santa Fe College Gainesville, FL
Hannah Bloodsworth
Santa Fe College
Charcoal on paper
22” x 30”
I am totally and completely at peace with my skin, my desires, and where I am in my life… or I will be eventually. This portrait represents my journey on overcoming shame to embrace the things about me that don’t meet expectation, others’ and my own.
Lily Goodman
Santa Fe College
Fire Hydrant
Oil on panel
13” x 15”
This was my first color oil painting and was a major learning opportunity. I used techniques learned from Drawing 1 and 2 and Art Fundamentals. Everything I’ve learned helped me, and I’ve found new methods too. Learning so much from one painting has made oil one of my favorite mediums.
Sierra J.R. Neal
Santa Fe College
Marlin’s Portrait
9” x 12”
My intention was to create a pictorial memory of a sentimental part of my room before everything moved. I used chiaroscuro to portray my desired emotion and for an additional challenge. Most of all, I wanted to paint my cat who’s always taking my seat.
Oil on canvas
Tabatha Seiter
Santa Fe College
Uno, Dos, Tres...Cinco, Seis, Siete
Oil on canvas
36” x 48”
My concentration as an artist is the influence of natural observation, the arts, and culture. When abroad in Mexico, I had the opportunity to learn how to salsa dance. My painting reflects the memory of shared dancing as it is more than movement, it’s trust through physical connection with others.
Adrian Smith
Santa Fe College
Calatheas from Fairchild
Glazed stoneware with underglaze painting
6” x 6” x 9”
“Calatheas from Fairchild” is a reflection on my time volunteering at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in high school. The countless weekends I have spent in its lush gardens have profoundly shaped who I am and continue to serve as inspiration for my art.
Seattle, WA
Juan Eduardo Guzmán Doria
Seattle Central College, Seattle Colleges
Grande Odalisque in the 21st Century
Digital photography
4800 x 2336 pixels
This photo was the result of clashes between the ideals of physical beauty at the time versus an “imperfect” body, and the ideals of art versus the conceptions in our current century. In this particular artwork, we imagine what Ingres’s “La Grande Odalisque” might look like in the 21st century.
Alannah Laret
North Seattle College, Seattle Colleges
Mother Ocean
Shells, marine litter
13” x 8” x 10”
I use beach litter to show the plight, beauty, and resiliency of our oceans. Look closely at how we choose to care for our planet. Plastic trash becomes marine life habitat, almost indistinguishable from natural coral.
Finian Long
South Seattle College, Seattle Colleges
Trompe L’oeil Cardboard Wall Clock
Teapot
and Cookie Jar Set
Underglazes, glazes
7.5” x 4.5” x 11”
This set deals with themes of time and materiality, contrasting the perceived temporary material cardboard with the actual lasting ceramic the vessels are made of. It was slab built spanning fall and winter quarters of 2024-2025.
Emma George Saltzberg
North Seattle College, Seattle Colleges
Identity Crisis: Ode to Goffman
Glass, obsidian, sterling silver
18” x 7.25” x .25”
You will find symbology sewn into the underbellies of the mineral settings in most of my designs. When held to the light, each cut-out acts as a frame, giving transient form to the light flowing through the symbol into the stonework, illuminating the nuances of its natural beauty.
Adonis WIlliams
Seattle Central College, Seattle Colleges
Enter Gheshalt
Digital illustration
3751 x 3000 pixels
“Enter Gheshalt” is an invitation for the viewer to begin their exploration of my world: Gheshalt. It travels through the literal and figurative construction of the world from right to left, hoping to evoke a sense of exploration, curiosity, and wonder while hinting at darker mysteries to be uncovered.
Jesper Beckholt
Sinclair Community College
Avert/Invert
Cardboard, pipe cleaners, labels
20”x 48”x 36”
My work explores the taboo, using playful confrontation to write colorful new mythologies. I’m drawn to life’s transitions, embodiment as personal meaning-making, and the holy struggle to connect, expand, and find ourselves within something greater.
Jordan Cullen
Sinclair Community College
Slice of Life
Foam core board, plaster, ink pen, Posca markers, watercolor
4” x 7” x 5”
This project reflects my busy student mornings, where fitness and self-care are priorities. Bread became a symbol—each slice representing part of my routine. Through mixed media, I explored the chaos and joy of starting the day. Take a slice!
Lucas Dunlap
Sinclair Community College
High Expectations
Pastel on toned paper
18”x 24”
Being an art student has been (and continues to be) a great privilege. I am perpetually inspired by those around me.
Emily Flanagan
Sinclair Community College
Self-Taught Man
Gelatin silver print
8” x 5”
“Self-Taught Man” is a combination print featuring the artist’s son. It is part of a larger series titled “As the world Burns…” which was started at Sinclair Community College in the fall 2024 semester. The series is an exploration of the emotions and ramifications of the current political landscape.
Candice VanSickle
Sinclair Community College
Dreams of the Landing
Digital photograph
21” x 15.75”
I have opened my eyes to a world of color through both darkroom and digital photography. Color reveals so much more detail. I dyed my photo and also used a color lens to make these discoveries.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Dawn Lindsay, President
Anne Arundel Community College
Arnold, Maryland
Russell Lowery-Hart, Chancellor
Austin Community College District
Austin, Texas
Michael A. Baston, President
Cuyahoga Community College
Cleveland, Ohio
Justin Lonon, Chancellor
Dallas College
Dallas, Texas
Michael H. Gavin, President
Delta College
University Center, Michigan
Lee Lambert, Chancellor
Foothill-De Anza Community College District
Los Altos Hills, California
Ann Marie Vaughan, President and CEO
Humber Polytechnic Toronto, Ontario
Daniel J. Phelan, President and CEO
Jackson College Jackson, Michigan
Tony Miksa, President
Johnson County Community College
Overland Park, Kansas
Kristie Fisher, President
Kirkwood Community College
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Steven R. Gonzales, Chancellor
Maricopa Community Colleges
Tempe, Arizona
DeAnna Burt-Nanna, President
Monroe Community College - SUNY
Rochester, New York
Pamela J. Haney, President
Moraine Valley Community College
Palos Hills, Illinois
Randy Weber, President
Rogue Community College
Grants Pass, Oregon
Paul Broadie II, President
Santa Fe College
Gainesville, Florida
Rosie Rimando-Chareunsap, Chancellor
Seattle Colleges
Seattle, Washington
Steven Johnson, President
Sinclair Community College
Dayton, Ohio
David G. Ross, President and CEO
Southern Alberta Institute of Technology
Calgary, Alberta
Jeff Pittman, Chancellor
St. Louis Community College
Bridgeton, Missouri
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
League for Innovation in the Community College
2024-2025 International Student Art Awards
Congratulations to all the students included in this catalog. Thank you to all the Local Award Coordinators, faculty, staff, and administrators who inspire our students and make these awards possible.
Special thanks to the Santa Fe College League for Innovation International Student Art Awards Planning Committee:
Kyle Novak, International Award Co-Coordinator, Director of Cultural Affairs
Ben Ingle, International Award Co-Coordinator, Assistant Professor of Visual Arts
Dr. Claire Orenduff, Fine Arts Department Academic Chair
Additional thanks to the Santa Fe College administration for their support of this opportunity for students:
Dr. Paul Broadie II, President
Dr. J. Nathaniel Southerland, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs
Dr. Stefanie Waschull, Associate Vice President of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Lisa Brosky, Associate Vice President of Marketing and Communications
This book was designed by the professional staff of Santa Fe College in Gainesville, Florida.
Printed in Canada.
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