The awards have been announced as the University of Lethbridge celebrates the Annual Student Juried Exhibition in the Art Gallery through Apr. 9.

Artwork in a wide variety of media including video, textiles, wood, cardboard, photography, paint and found objects are all on display. Guest juror Jen Budney, Associate Curator at the Mendel Art Gallery in Saskatoon, Sask., reviewed more than 100 submissions before passing out the awards.

Following is a list of the major winners:

Southern Alberta Art Gallery Award: Kazumi Marthiensen
U of L Students' Union Award: Karen Davis
David Lanier Memorial Award: Andrea True Joy Fox
(This award is presented for photography and photo-based work, in memory of David Lanier, by his parents, Ike and Diana Lanier)
Art Society Award: Valerie Stanzl
Art History/Museum Studies Awards: Laura Brown and April Matisz
Combined Faculty/ Staff Art Dept & Art Gallery Award: Jason Jessen
U of L Art Gallery Award: April Matisz
Art Gallery Poster Award: Yan Luo
The Rahn-Campbell Digital Art Award: Brandon Wallis
The Friederike and Carl Granzow Award: Kari-Leigh Bettger
Art Department Award: Yan Luo
Faculty of Fine Arts Award: Amornthep Jaidee

Budney says she was impressed with the variety of media, subject matter and techniques the students were exploring. She also enjoyed having the opportunity to talk with students and see their work.

The exhibition provides students with the professional experience of having their work judged purely on its own merit by someone who knows nothing about them, according to Josephine Mills, Director/Curator of the U of L Art Gallery.

"The students then have the opportunity to view their work in a professionally-curated exhibition," she says. "However, this particular exhibition is quite unconventional because of the variety of work."

The Juried Exhibition was open to any current U of L undergraduate students enrolled in one or more visual art classes. Work in all media created within the past year was eligible.