Peru, Nebraska - Peru State College is excited to announce the return of Art Day on October 18, 2023, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Art students and teachers from Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, and Kansas will attend the event on the Peru State campus. 

Art Day serves as a gathering place for students and teachers to exchange ideas, explore artistic methods, and gain insights into the world of creative arts in college and professional settings. Spearheaded by Susan Moore, Associate Professor of Art at Peru State, the event has experienced steady growth since she began leading it six years ago. 

"In my first year, Art Day had around 40 participants," shared Moore. "In 2022, we had over 150. This year, we plan on 300." 

This year's featured guest artist is Hannah Demma, hailing from Lincoln, Nebraska. Demma, who serves as the Program Director at the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts in Lincoln, will kick off the event with an engaging artist talk during the opening reception. Following the reception, she will lead an artist's workshop. In addition to her role at the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center, Demma is a dedicated papermaker and paper-making instructor at Constellation Studios. Her busy studio practice and exhibition schedule highlight her commitment to the arts. Demma earned both her Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Fine Arts degrees from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. 

The 2023 Art Day will be full of exciting activities featuring: 

• An opening reception and artist talk with guest artist Hannah Demma. 
• Artist workshops. 
• Campus tours. 
• Art-related fun activities. 
• Raffles and prizes. 
• Secret workshops (more information coming soon) 
• A teacher's roundtable. 
• An awards ceremony. 

Peru State art students contribute significantly to the success of the day. They actively ensure the day is fun and engaging by interacting with the attendees and participating in workshops and activities. 

A highlight of this year’s events will be a juried art show open to all attending students. Students can submit up to three art pieces, encompassing 2D, 3D, or digital creations, and artists must have created their works during their high school careers. Categories include drawing, painting, printmaking, graphic design, photography, 3D (including sculpture and ceramics), and digital art. 

Moore and Ken Curtis, Assistant Professor of Graphic Design, will serve as jurors to evaluate the talent on display. Prizes will be awarded for first, second, and third place. 

• Grand Prize: 1/2 tuition covered for the first year at Peru State College—a $3,200 scholarship for incoming first-year art majors/minors. 
• 2nd Place: $2,000 scholarship for incoming first-year art majors/minors. 
• 3rd Place: $1,500 scholarship for incoming first-year art majors/minors. 

Moore emphasized how Art Day is highly beneficial to all those who attend. 

"Art Day allows students to delve into workshops and activities they usually don't get to participate in and see how to run a workshop professionally,” said Moore. "The day also allows teachers to revisit areas of interest and excitement while allowing them to play and create. I love to show people there is so much more to art, more to the story, and showcase next steps like how to show art in a community or public setting." 

Art Day also provides another avenue to shine the spotlight on Peru State College. 

“The day allows us to bring the community to Peru State College, show how beautiful the campus is, highlight the art department, and share all the services available on campus," said Moore. "It connects us with people from the community." 

Additional information, including registration and the application for the juried art show, can be found at peru.edu/artday/. The deadline to register for Art Day is October 2, 2023. 

Nestled in the hills of historic southeast Nebraska, Peru State College offers a mix of innovative online and traditional classroom undergraduate and graduate programs, including online graduate degrees in education and organizational management. 

Established in 1867 as Nebraska’s first college, Peru State has transformed over the past century and a half into a state-of-the-art institution offering diverse, multifaceted educational programs annually to nearly 2,000 students.