News

By Alyssa Brown

Biomedical Art major Catherine Stanley was chosen as a finalist for the Award for Excellence in Visual Arts (EVAs) awarded by the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Ohio (AICUO) for a portfolio of her work. Stanley is one of six finalists for the award.

Nominated by Associate Professor and Chair of Biomedical Art, Thomas Nowacki, Stanley submitted her artistic statement and digital portfolio judged by art department members from institutions and community leaders in Ohio involved in visual arts. The finalists receive a prize package including letters of recommendation from government officials, physical awards, press coverage in magazines and online publications and the opportunity to have their artwork displayed in galleries throughout Ohio.

Stanley’s portfolio was based on illustrations that educate people, including illustrations of medical procedures and animal anatomy. In her artistic statement, she says, “It is important that I am able to use my art to help others by furthering education in scientific and medical topics."

On April 8, Stanley will attend an awards reception open to the public at the Joseph V. Canzani Center located at the Columbus College of Art & Design. Attendees will also have the option of viewing her artwork displayed in the Student Gallery, located in the Acock Gallery.

“I think it will help me open up a lot of opportunities to applying my work to fine art. I’m really interested in being able to branch out both ways, work professionally but also work as a fine artist,” she said about being a finalist in the EVAs.

The 2009 graduate of Troy High School transferred to CIA in 2012 specifically for its Biomedical Art program. “I’ve always done art, ever since I was a kid. But when I was in my senior year I came up to visit CIA and saw the program, and thought it was the coolest thing ever,” Stanley said.

Since then, she’s had an internship at the Cleveland Clinic in the Department of Medical Illustration and Photography and participated in several challenging projects during her time there.

“I worked with a doctor on a condition called preeclampsia, and made an illustrated graphic of outside sources that effect women that promote that condition,” Stanley said. Her illustrations from this internship were published in two separate medical journals.

Stanley has been deeply involved in the Biomedical Art program at CIA, and appreciated the preparation her classes gave her towards her internship. “We’re all so close together and we’re used to being harshly critiqued” at CIA, she said. This turned out to be particularly good preparation for the Cleveland Clinic.

Meanwhile, Stanley is busy working on her BFA thesis exhibition, which will be a “mini museum” exhibition about bird anatomy in flight, presented through a series of large illustrations and interactive components.

After graduation, she hopes to continue her work helping others through her artwork. As she said in her Artistic Statement, “Whether it’s drawing from a cadaver or observing organisms under a microscope, I enjoy learning more about the world around me and being able to draw these fascinating subjects.”

Stanley’s work will be on display in an exhibition for all AICUO EVA recipients from May 2-30 at the ROY G BIV Gallery in Columbus. An opening reception will take place May 2, and an artists’ talk on May 30. For more information, visit roygbivgallery.org.

Alyssa Brown is a marketing intern.