Catch a rising star at Artexpo; exhibitors vote on the work of art school students for an on-site exhibition program

Art Business News, Jan, 2003 by Maja Tarateta

Artexpo has long been recognized as a seeker and finder of the newest art in the country. Now, it takes that reputation to a new level with the Artexpo Rising Stars program.

Through the program, which, according to Artexpo Marketing Director John Vasko, "brings new artists to Artexpo and creates a sense of community with up-and-coming artists," three "rising stars" will be chosen to come to Artexpo and display their works in a booth donated by Advanstar Communications, which organizes the show.

To initiate the program, Artexpo organizers identified several top art schools and invited each school's administrators to nominate their most advanced students who had a sellable body of work. The students then sent in photos or slides of their work for review by Artexpo exhibitors and attendees, who will vote to determine the top three.

The following colleges nominated the following students to participate in the program: Savannah College of Art and Design nominated Allison Lee Wiltshire, Michael Scoggins, K.L. Keltner, Chi-Ying Hsieh, Brett Callero, Ying-Ju Lai and Frederick A. Jesser IV; George Washington University nominated Mary Coble; Carnegie Mellon University nominated Maggie Haas and Laura Hoke; Syracuse University nominated Edward C. Holland; and the School of Visual Arts nominated Justin Samson and Kan Yamano.

The students' work represented a variety of artistic mediums, including painting, photography, conceptual art and sculpture.

Artexpo exhibitors voted via an e-mail voting system. To see which of these students art-industry professionals believe had the most potential, visit the Rising Stars booth at the show or check out the winners at www.artexpos.com.