First-Year Student Wins Award for Risk-Taking in the Annual Student Exhibition
Hayden James ’27 was the recipient of the Donald E. Camp Award for his works exploring trans-masculinity in the 2024 Annual Student Exhibition: Height Marks on the Door Frame.
Hayden James has many reasons to celebrate after last night’s opening reception for the 2024 Annual Student Exhibition: Height Marks on the Door Frame. Not only was he showered in congratulations from loved ones who came to support him and his work, he also took home one of the most prestigious awards of the evening.
Donald E. Camp, a member of the Berman National Advisory Council, a powerhouse of an artist, and professor emeritus of art, established the Donald E. Camp Award for students demonstrating risk-taking in art at the Annual Student Exhibition (ASE). This year, Camp honored Hayden James, a first-year student whose works explore trans-masculinity, with the award.
Surrounded by the ambitious and larger-than-life pieces by senior artists, James’s works hold their own in the gallery. The brightly saturated canvases reflect a stunning level of skill for someone still early in their college career, and they work together flawlessly in validating the trans experience.
The other three award winners of the evening were all seniors enrolled in the studio art capstone. Callagh Mays ’24 won the Richard Goldberg Award. Endowed by the late Dr. Richard Goldberg ’58, his family, friends, and colleagues, the award is given to the student exhibiting a sensitive interpretation of an artistic vision in ASE. Allie Fiore ’24 and Anastasia Natrella ’24 both received the Berman Award, which the museum gives for artistic achievement in ASE.
This is the second year in a row Camp has selected a non-capstone student for his award. Last year, the award went to Amanda De Souza ’25 for her work celebrating her grandmother and indigenous Brazilian heritage.
A total of seventeen students participated in this year’s Student Exhibition. The thought-provoking concepts and distinctive styles on view speak to the success of the studio art program at Ursinus in encouraging students to expand their skillset and hone their curiosity.
Height Marks on the Door Frame will be on-view at the Berman Museum of Art from April 24 to May 11, 2024. Congratulations to the award winners and all of the participating students.
