HATTIESBURG - The next generation of visual artists at The University of Southern Mississippi will be honored March 20 in an open awards ceremony at 4 p.m. in the university's Museum of Art.

For more than 40 years, an annual exhibition has been held at Southern Miss to showcase the talent of students majoring in visual arts. It is one show that is greatly anticipated by students, teachers and public alike.

This year's exhibition March 18 through April 7 will feature selections of artworks by the more than 250 majors in the Department of Art. These works encompass a wide variety of mediums – including graphic design, sculpture, painting, ceramics and drawing.

"I always enjoy seeing what students have accomplished in the past 12 months," said Jim Meade, a professor of art. "It is educationally important for our students to see their work displayed in a museum setting."

The museum and department will announce awards in several categories at 4:30 p.m. Jill Chancey, curator at the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art in Laurel, will serve as juror. During the exhibition, staff members will be available to assist interested buyers of the students' work.

The annual student shows once were held in classrooms of the Fine Arts Building. Under the direction of Walter Lok, the show evolved in the mid-1970s to a more formal display in the C. W. Woods Gallery. The exhibition moved to the Museum of Art when it was instituted in 1997 and has become one of the more significant displays of emerging artists in the Southeast.

The Museum of Art is located in the Fine Arts Building with hours of 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Tuesday-Friday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday. Admission is free and open to the public. School and community groups are welcome. For more information, call Dr. Tony Lewis, curator, at (601) 266-5200.

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