Benson Campus Galleries | Greenville Technical College

34th Annual Upstate High School Art Exhibition

March 25 - April 18, 2024

The Department of Visual Arts at Greenville Technical College is thrilled to announce the 34th Annual Upstate High School Art Exhibition (AUHSAE). 41 teachers from 19 Upstate high school art programs submitted 151 works to the juried exhibition. 2024's AUHSAE consists of 12 categories including traditional medias such as drawing, painting, and ceramics as well as specialized medias such as fiber, metals, and animation. AUHSAE is a true survey of the quality and variety of visual arts in Upstate high school programs.

The initial jurying process for AUHSAE is completed by the Upstate high school art instructors themselves. They choose student works to represent the quality and diversity of their own programs. These particularly diligent teachers make sure exhibition entry criteria are met and then deliver their student entries to designated collection points. All of their selections are on view in the Benson Campus Galleries. An independent, professional artist from outside the school systems then serves as the awards juror. The juror, without access to artist, teacher, or school identities, chooses awards within each category. Each AUHSAE cash award is divided between the winning student and that student’s art program.

The 34th AUHSAE juror is Tom Dimond, Professor Emeritus of Painting at Clemson University, Clemson, SC. Tom was Director of Lee Gallery at Clemson University from 1973-1988 and then professor of painting until 2006. He received a BFA from the Massachusetts College of Art and an MFA from the University of Tennessee. Tom currently lives and maintains an active studio in Pendleton, SC. He has exhibited work nationally and throughout the Southeast. His work is represented in the collections of the Asheville Art Museum and the Greenville County Museum of Art as well as private collections.

With great care and many trips back and forth through the galleries to compare entries, Tom singled out 39 award winners. He complimented all participants as he commented, “What impressed me most about the 34th AUHSAE was the students’ ability to go beyond the prescribed parameters of their assignments and express their individual points of view which in many cases concerned cultural and social issues of the day. From climate change to the overwhelming impact of technology, these students are surprisingly aware of their place in these stressful times.”

On Wednesday, April 17 beginning at 6:00 pm, all Upstate art students, teachers, friends, family, and the public are invited to enjoy this exciting exhibition in GTC's Benson Campus Galleries, Building 301, followed at 6:30 pm by the 34th Annual Upstate High School Art Exhibition Awards Presentation in the outdoor plaza and amphitheater (weather permitting). If need be, the presentation will move indoors to the commons area of Building 301. The 34th AUHSAE exhibition catalog picturing each award-winning work and listing all participants will be available for students and their teachers at the awards presentation.

The 34th AUHSAE cash awards and exhibition catalog are made possible through grants and corporate sponsorships. Thank you to the Metropolitan Arts Council, The Robert B. and Ruth K. Lee Foundation, Netalytics, APCO Plastics, and the Greenville Tech Foundation for their generous support of these young artists and Upstate visual arts education. (MAC receives support from the City of Greenville, BMW Manufacturing Company, SEW Eurodrive, the South Carolina Arts Commission, and many other sources.)