Three Louisiana Tech art professors have received recognition recently for their outstanding exhibits.

Associate art professor Marie Bukowski opened a solo exhibition of her traditional and contemporary prints Feb. 5 at the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow, Poland. Bukowski was invited by the president of the academy to exhibit her work.

“Tech’s School of Art is a high profile program,” Bukowski said. “The faculty are professional artists and very active in their fields outside of the classroom. Our students are ambitious and exhibit their work on a regular basis.”

And the art professors encourage them through their own examples.

Bukowski was also invited to participate in a printmaking show as part of a group exhibition in the Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw, Poland. This exhibition was sponsored by the Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts and the Tadeusz Kulisiewicz Foundation. All of this work submitted for exhibition by Bukowski was just purchased to become part of this international permanent collection. The work purchased was part of the series created during a residency in the Czech Republic in 2007.

Assistant photography professor Jay Gould, who is recognized on a regular basis for his artistic achievements, has been awarded a first place juror’s prize at the Newspace Center for Photography in Portland, Oregon for his image “Season Cycle.”

“I believe there are many factors that lead to Louisiana Tech’s School of Art to be so widely regarded,” Gould said.  “One element that has impressed me is the openness to new ideas and change, even from young faculty. With education in all areas shifting right along with technological changes, it is important that departments be nimble and ready to adapt. I feel that the School of Art is open and realistic about this need, and works to not simply address the issue, but put plans into action quickly.

“The students and faculty both benefit from this system of reevaluation, which leads to an environment of productivity, creativity and pride. I am proud to work alongside faculty who are dedicated and talented artists who bring out the best in their students while maintaining their own creative endeavors.”

Gould’s work beat out more than 300 entries at the “Flora and Fauna” exhibition, which showed off photographs celebrating the mystery and beauty of plants and animals. Gould’s “Season Cycle,” like most of his other images, explore the underlying science of the world and seeks personal understanding through visual metaphors and interactions.

Assistant art professor Nicholas Bustamante also recently held a solo art exhibition at the Alexandria Museum of Art on Feb 27.

Written by Elizabeth Christian