Remarkable Images Bring Notoriety and Prizes to Three Winning Students

Left above, Matthew DaVault is congratulated by ACC President Dr. Bert Glandon on winning first place. Left below, DeVault's winning entry. Center, above Tricia Reichert is congratulated by Dr. Glandon. Center below, Reichert's winning entry. Right above, Randie Silverstein is congratulated by Dr. Glandon. Right below, one of the mosaics in Silverstein's winning entry.

(December 4, 2007 - Littleton, Colo.) On November 29, at a special ceremony, Arapahoe Community College President Dr. Bert Glandon announced the winners of ACC's second "Art at the Heart" student art contest. "Art at the Heart," is a contest in which ACC students compete for valuable gift certificates donated by Guiry's Art Supply and the honor of having their art placed on permanent display in "the heart" of the College's instructional offices, a center housing academic deans, staff and ACC's chief instructional executive, known as "A-2000." The winners were deemed the best works from a field of 16 entries.

The first place prize of a $100 gift certificate to Guiry's was awarded to Matthew DaVault for a photograph capturing the reflections of plant life in a pond that he took during a field trip to the Denver Botanical Gardens. DaVault started honing his craft as an amateur photographer seven years ago when he bought a digital camera. As a student, DaVault cannot be described exclusively as a right-brained artist, he is also pursuing Engineering coursework at ACC

The second place prize of a $50 Guiry's gift certificate was awarded to Tricia Reichert. Reichert, a veteran nurse, submitted a photo of a flower that was given to her by an intensive care patient for which she cared. Reichert had placed the flower on her kitchen table and one morning she was struck with the remarkable way the sunlight was reflecting off the plant and decided to photograph it on a whim. A few years ago Reichert began taking ACC photography classes to cultivate a second career after having been a nurse since the mid-1970s. Reichert became an artist after what she terms a "midlife awakening" in which she decided she wanted to exercise the creative side of her brain. Earlier this year those classes culminated in a new College degree for Reichert, this one from ACC. Her photography has been featured at ACC's Art Students Exhibit, ACC's Community Education Annual Student and Instructor Show and ACC's Art and Design Center's Jansen Art Gallery.

The third place prize of a $25 Guiry's gift certificate went to Randie Sliverstein for a set of colorful mosaic illustrations she dubbed "The Mandalas." She created the Mandalas while taking an Adobe Illustrator class at ACC. Silverstein has been a practicing artist for most of her life. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in ceramics and a Certificate in Digital Media. Besides Adobe Illustrator, she has been taking Ceramics and Multimedia classes such as Motion Graphic Design. Silverstein owns a Web design studio called Luckydog Art and Design and exhibits and sells ceramics as well as teaches digital art and children's ceramics. She says she combines her interest in drawing and "whimsy" to bring a certain style and cohesiveness to all of her work.

"We are very honored to display your fine works of art," Dr. Glandon told the winners. For more information about the "Art at the Heart" student art contest contact Jane Hickey at 303.797.5707.

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