2024 Alumni Art Show Winners Announced
Winning entries in Kalamazoo Valley's annual Alumni Art Show were announced during the exhibit opening at the Center for New Media on June 7. A total of 26 alumni artists submitted 47 works for inclusion in the juried show. Entries were accepted in multiple media, including video, mixed media, sculpture, painting, drawing, carving and photography. See the entire album from the show here.
Best of Show | acrylics | Sharehouse 2 | Alex Menzor $500
Menzor entered her first Alumni Art Show in 2023, and also earned Best of Show that year. In 2021 she earned an A.A.S. in Illustration at Kalamazoo Valley. She can be contacted for commissioned painting and more of her work can be seen at https://www.alexmenzor.com/.
Director's Choice | Prowling | watercolor | Ana Hedberg | $400
This was Hedberg's first Alumni Art Show. She earned her degree in Industrial Design at Kalamazoo Valley in 1992, then went on to Western Michigan University to earn a bachelor's in industrial design with a minor in art. In 2022, Hedberg's work was shown in the gallery of the Boston Public Library. Learn more about her art at https://www.anahedberg.com/.
First Place - Siblings | cyanotype, origami, found object, copper accents | Heather Briggs | $300
This was Briggs' sixth Alumni Art Show with her work garnering awards in 2019 and 2022. She has taken classes at Kalamazoo Valley and the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, and earned a BFA in photography at Andrews University in 2017. She was an artist in residence at the KIA in 2019 and has previously entered her work in the ArtPrize competition in Grand Rapids. See more of her work at https://heatherbriggsphotography.com/
Second Place - Self-Reflection | Derwent Inktense Blocks, soft pastels, pastel premier paper | Tracy Kleinsteker | $200
2024 marks Kleinsteker's eighth year entering Kalamazoo Valley's Alumni Art Show and her work has earned awards in four previous shows. She is a member of the Pastel Society of America, the International Association of Pastel Societies and the Great Lakes Pastel Society. Her work has earned awards at many venues including the 2021 Adirondack Artists Guild Gallery, 2020 Southwest Florida Pastel Society and the Chroma 2019 Pastel Society of Colorado online show. Learn more about Kleinsteker and her work at https://tracy-klinesteker.format.com/about.
Third Place - Unraveling | watercolor | Ana Hedberg | $100
This is Hedberg's first Alumni Art Show. She earned her degree in Industrial Design at Kalamazoo Valley in 1992, then went on to WMU to earn a bachelor's in industrial design with a minor in art. In 2022, Hedberg's work was shown in the gallery of the Boston Public Library. Learn more about her art at https://www.anahedberg.com/.
Honorable Mention - Bumble Bees and Blossoms | digital photography on canvas | Dennis LaPoint | $50
A retired special education teacher, LaPoint has taken several photography classes at Kalamazoo Valley. This was his second Alumni Art Show and his first award.
Honorable Mention - Doc | black and white photography | Mark Meninga | $50
This was Meninga's first time entering the Alumni Art Show. He is a Kalamazoo Valley graduate, earning an AAS in Computer Aided Design in 2008 and in 2009 an AAS in Drafting/CAD-CAM Design. In July 2019 he participated in Art Hop, exhibiting his photographs printed on metal.
Honorable Mention - What's Your Pleasure? Drawing or Photograph? | colored pencils and markers on art paper; Photoshop | Lou Hoekstra | $50
Hoekstra is a 2013 graduate having earned an AAS in Art and New Media and this is his sixth Alumni Art Show. This is his first award. He was at the Sturgis "Summer's End" celebration in 2022 to draw classic cars. See more of his work at http://autosketches.net/.
Honorable Mention | Baptism | oil paint, oil pastel, collage | Heather Boersma | $ 50
2024 is Boersma's fourth Alumni Art Show; her work earned the 3rd Place Award in 2022. She attended Kalamazoo Valley in 2008 and has degrees from Kalamazoo College, WMU and Grand Valley. Boersma entered her work Covid Purse Diary in ArtPrize in 2021. Her work as been part of juried exhibitions in Michigan, California and New Mexico. See more of her work at https://heatherboersmaart.com/.