2021 Student Art Awards

Each year Art + Design recognizes the achievements of its most outstanding majors and minors. Persevering during the Covid-19 pandemic through one of the most challenging years in education, our students produced some amazing work. 

Browse the work of our Special-Award winning and Art History students below then view our Graphic Design Student Awards and Studio Art Student Awards.

Clifmon Leroy

PRESIDENTIAL CREATIVITY AWARD AND CERTIFICATE OF MERIT IN GRAPHIC DESIGN

Clifmon Leroy is a graphic designer from Waltham, Massachusetts. He first took an interest in art when he was younger and saw his sister, who is now a photographer, drawing. After taking a variety of digital and traditional art classes as well as AP art classes at Waltham High School, Clifmon gained an interest in the fields of Graphic design and illustration. Interested in exploring narratives, Clifmon often imbues his work with ideas of identity or different social issues. He is inspired by elements of contemporary design and cites artists such as Basquiat, Kara Walker, and Vashti Harrison as influences for illustration.

Michael Simpson 

Presidential Creativity Award

Michael Simpson was sent to planet earth in the late 1980s by a group of alien beings. His mission was to learn the ways in which humans use creative expression. He was raised by a loving human family in Revere, MA who helped foster his interest in creativity through music, visual arts, and alternative sports that encouraged individualistic expression. Michael is currently in his final year of research at Salem State University. Here, he pursued a degree in printmaking so that he could explore one of the oldest human art forms.  Alongside his formal education, he has been conducting his own experiments in painting, mixed media, and sculpture. Once Michael is finished earning his degree, he plans to return to his home planet where he intends to share all that he has learned on Earth.

Geech Huot

Vito Sammartano Award 

Exemplifying excellence in the studio disciplines

Geech is a Business major who is very passionate about Art. She came to the United States to pursue her college education 4 years ago from Cambodia. Art and she have a very complicated relationship but it is the closest companion that understands her the most at the same time. Coming from a strict and traditional family, art is not encouraged as a career but it didn’t stop her from creating. It is her outlet to find inner peace and self-expression. Geech likes to try different media and enjoys all of them. Since her workspace and time are always limited, her art style is a reflection of it. Her favorite mediums are markers, colored pencils, and gouache. Geech believes in making the best out of what she has and self-expression is what truly matters. Art-making will always be a part of her individuality.

Erin Melin

Certificate of Excellence in Art History

Researching art history has shifted the way I perceive the world around me, and through that, has made me a more thoughtful designer. By studying artwork ranging from the prehistoric period to modern digital design, I’ve enjoyed learning how color, composition, medium, material, and scale can communicate with viewers. I now find myself identifying architectural elements on local buildings, recognizing messages designers send through their typeface choices, and studying color relationships in my surroundings. I also admire how art continues to reflect cultural, social, intellectual, and technological shifts in society. Beyond aesthetic value, art history highlights how art can be used for social advocacy, to share personal experiences, and to influence cultural change at various points in time. As art continues to be created and uncovered, I’m excited to continue learning from the past and am looking forward to viewing future work with a deeper understanding.

Logan Roberts

CERTIFICATE OF EXCELLENCE IN ART HISTORY 

Vital to any culture is the expression of ideas and feelings. Art has been a vessel of expression for over 30 thousand years. What makes art, and the study of its history so exciting is its accessibility. There is no required langue needed to view a work of art. In looking at a work of art, the viewer engages with a person who may have lived thousands of years before them in a far-off land or with a person who lives next door. What fascinates me about art history is its ability to teleport the viewer to another time and space. There is a unique sense of discovery that comes from learning history not from text alone, but also from imagery. Art is both beautiful and richly educational. The beauty in art history is found in the minute details of a work.

Sam Stickney

CERTIFICATE OF EXCELLENCE IN ART HISTORY

Art History is a compellingly unique subject. I began my studies in Art History because I found it beyond interesting to learn about history from another aspect. There is always so much more to history when art is involved. It gives us the opportunity to look at clues as to what life was like in the past from an artistic standpoint. Just by identifying an art piece’s colors, materials, and symbolism, we can learn about the culture and period that created it. Moreover, by learning about past art, we can understand how it has contributed to who we are as a people today. We can look at what has been done before us, and thus view the world today with a more complete perspective. As an Art Historian, I am particularly interested in studying female artists, and the adversity they have faced in the art field. Additionally, after I graduate from Salem State, I hope to enter a master’s program for Asian Art History.