Undergraduate and graduate art students get a glimpse of the real world by showcasing their work in the 2011 Annual Student Exhibition at the School of Art Gallery.

Students can have up to two pieces in the show. About 100 students applied, and more than 60 pieces of work were chosen.

“We hire a juror who comes for a day to judge the work; it’s totally subjective,” said Anderson Turner, director of galleries for the School of Art. “It’s set up that way because it’s very much like a professional show.”

The exhibition, curated by Dan Tranberg, helps prepare students for the future, Turner said.

“Any experience helps you with the next step,” said Emma Pavlik, senior fine arts major with a concentration in sculpture. “Obviously it’s great for a resume and gets your name out.”

Pavlik decided to submit a drawing because she has never entered one in to an exhibition before. As for her other piece, she said she wanted it to be publicly shown.

“You make stuff and don’t really show it other than during critiques,” Pavlik said. “Shows like this give you the opportunity to showcase what you’ve done.”

Pavlik chose work that she made for a class and said it reflected the direction she wants to pursue. She said her drawing “Lay Me Down” is about the feeling of deflating and the fleeting nature of life and how quickly youthful moments pass. Pavlik, who works at the Downtown Gallery, was also in last year’s show.

Stacey Sullivan, senior crafts major with a concentration in textiles, has one piece in the show based on French fabric from the 17th and 18th centuries.

“I picked out a piece that I thought was good enough to stand on its own,” Sullivan said.

These types of fabrics usually portray people doing idyllic activities like fishing or having a picnic.

“Instead, my people are doing subversive things like drinking and smoking,” Sullivan said. “It’s more like taking a look at people in our society now; it’s more about what isn’t socially acceptable but the media still portrays.”

Sullivan said the piece is the jumping-off point for her upcoming senior show.

“It’s for my style now,” Sullivan said. “It’s a good experience to show your work.”

Student works can be purchased upon inquiry, but “the point of (the show) is research and experimenting,” Turner said.

Because the opening reception was snowed out, the exhibition will have a closing reception from 5 to 8 p.m. March 16.

The School of Art Gallery is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.

Contact Kasey Fahey at [email protected].