The Prodigal Sun, a sculpture by Christie Asuoha, has been awarded first-place distinction in the Convo Project, a juried student competition seeking original creative projects inspired by the color black.

Jurors Richard Graham, an associate professor and media services librarian at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, and Melissa Yuen, Sheldon’s associate curator of exhibitions, also awarded second place to Sarah Meeves for an architectural project titled Absence of Light and honorable mention to Sa Nguyen for the sculpture Black Wind and to Samuel Stanley for the musical composition Black as the Void, Two Pieces for String Orchestra Inspired by the Color Black.

Asuoha and Meeves will receive monetary prizes of $1,000 and $500, respectively, provided by the Pace Woods Foundation, which serves to inspire and nurture growth of people and organizations involved in the arts and education.

Sheldon Museum of Art supports the creative work of students across disciplines. The Convo Project was held in conjunction with the fall 2019 exhibition In Conversation: Black, a selection of artworks dominated by the color black that invite the viewer to contemplate detail concealed in shadow and revealed in light. Submissions to the Convo Project could take the form of any media such as visual art, musical composition, writing, fashion, graphic design, video, architecture, animation, interactive media, cinematic arts, data visualization, or other emerging media.

First Place
The Prodigal Sun

Second Place
Absence of Light

Honorable Mention
Black Wind

Honorable Mention
Black as the Void
Two Pieces for String Orchestra Inspired by the Color Black