Each year, a Library panel previews the senior art show, thoughtfully debates the entries, and selects a winning artwork. The Collins Library Senior Art Award celebrates the artist with a $250 prize and invites them to display their work prominently in the library for one year. Works are chosen based on their artistic themes, technical acumen, and suitability for display in the library.
Art Award Winner
Collins Library is pleased to bestow the 2025 Senior Art Award to Rhae Schulz-O’Neill for her series, “Just as I remember you.”
The panel was impressed by Rhae’s impactful and eclectic series that captures the elusive nature of memory. The utilization of “hoarded” materials adds texture and depth, drawing the viewer closer. The incidental moments reflected in the series, coupled with those collected in the accompanying zine, take on greater importance in hindsight. The panel also felt a synergy between the “beautiful wonder of noticing…the split seconds of quiet, of serenity, of sweetness” captured by the artist, and the focus and attention of students studying in Collins’ learning commons, where we envision the artwork will be displayed.
From the Artist Statement:
For my thesis series, “Just as I remember you,” I take a close look at the grasp of memory. The idea that memories and reflections are shaped and distorted by the things you actively refuse to forget. Those moments of noticing a minor detail that, while to many, is not a part of the plot, but to you is a fixation that permeates the way you remember that moment. And sometimes, those things you refuse to forget are tangible and physical, like wood sitting in the corner of my house because the beauty of the grain was too perfect to leave stranded against the dumpster and it sits and sits in my memory until I give it a place to shine.
Collins Library is looking forward to displaying Rhae’s work in Collins Library for the coming year. Congratulations, Rhae!
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Honorable Mention
In recognition of her vibrant, large-scale organic paintings and sculpture, the Collins Library awards Beyulah Anderson, an Honorable Mention for 2025.
The energy and movement in Beyulah’s works are palpable; the colors and patterns in the works are eye-catching, evoking a light and relaxed feeling. The organic feel of the paintings calls to mind everything from blood vessels to flowers, suggesting unexpected connections in the natural world.
From the Artist Statement:
This collection is a reflection of patterns and shapes occurring in the natural world that are mirrored by human movements and emotions. I draw inspiration from shells, flora, wind, water, and the human body. My paintings and sculptural installations are colorful representations of these organic forms and the unseen flowing movements occurring in and around them.
While there is no monetary prize attached to the honorable mention, Collins Library hopes to display the work “In the Heights” on the 4th floor for the coming year. Congratulations, Bey!
Library Jurors:
Liz Cheney, Humanities & Languages Librarian
Olivia Inglin, Archivist & Special Collections Librarian
Megan Smithling, Arts & Humanities Librarian
Jamie Spaine, Administrative and Special Projects Coordinator