On Tuesday, April 26, the University Art Gallery at CSU East Bay will open the Annual Juried Student Exhibition, which will feature the artwork of CSUEB students.

The exhibition began over 40 years ago with the goal of giving students real word experience, while also awarding the school’s best artists with scholarships.

Juried exhibitions in the art world are common, and often, artists have to pay to get in. The exhibition at CSUEB doesn’t require a hanging fee, and participants do not have to be art majors, but only need a recent art class under their belt.

The exhibition accepted a maximum of two pieces per artist, each being of a different medium. The requirements were very open ended: the gallery accepted all genres, with the exception of installations that manipulated large spaces. This year’s exhibition will feature sculptures, paintings, photography, drawings and even a short film.

Philip Long, a CSUEB student and artist, has a sculpture in this year’s exhibit—a cat o’ nine tails whip constructed of payphones, symbolizing his grievances working for a phone company.

“I’m surprised this was chosen for the exhibit,” said Long. “But I’m very happy.”

Typically, 15-20 awards are given at the exhibition, including $500 scholarships, art supplies and campus bookstore gift cards. The awards are donated by members of the community who come from all different walks of life. Some are artists, educators or simply art lovers. “This is a legacy of people giving back to their community,” said Jill Ringler, Gallery Manager. “It is amazing what the donors are doing for the students.”

With artwork as diverse as the student body, CSUEB’s exhibition can spark anyone’s creativity. “Experiencing and enjoying art, whether you’re an artist or not is always inspiring,” said Ringler, “especially when the artists are your peers.”