This fall, Kent State University's School of Art held a juried art exhibition; Aggregate III: Avalanche of Talent.
This juried exhibition was open to artists living in the United States and working in any medium, aiming to showcase the breadth and diversity of creative talent nationwide. From over three hundred applicants, only twenty-two artists were selected for inclusion. Two of these artists were chosen as award recipients—the first-place winner receiving a $500 cash prize and the runner-up receiving $300. Their works will be featured in the Kent Downtown Gallery through Nov. 29, 2025.
Congratulations to our 2025 winners! View their artwork and read descriptions below.
First Place: Xyl Lasersohn
From: Baltimore, Maryland
Artwork: Cheesecake, oil on canvas, 30" x 30" x 1.5"
Description: My paintings provide no easy answers. As a painting progresses I continuously change the composition, colors and shapes building up opaque layers of paint. The paintings start to fall into an elusive space where viewers grapple with objects that slowly shift into abstraction and contradictions in perspective.
These objects are presented on a landscape stage with a bright light casting a stark shadow. There is little to imply a world beyond; entire scenes feel like constructed indoor spaces. The scale of the work allows for a personification of the objects; they fulfill the compositional role of figure within the ground. Yet, when these objects are placed within this landscape, there is a break upon the field, an equivocation that occurs, where each element is at equal risk of division or bisection. There is an inherent violence baked into the work, that is in no ways direct, but rather that emerges slowly from extended viewing.
Runner Up: Raymond Bugelski
From: Cleveland Heights, Ohio
Artwork: Nooks and Crannies, Mixed Media, 36" x 36" x 6"
Description: "Being a creative is not a choice, being creative is." - me
The fact that one is a creative is not initially apparent to the individual inflicted or the uncreatives in their life. Over a period of time the creative realizes that they are not like everyone else. Passionate, sensitive (to everything), inquisitive, open minded, idealistic, contemplative and relentless in their search for truth. This fact, as uncomfortable as it may be, is way better than the alternative to the creative - being normal. Immersed in uncertainty, the creative explores their own existence internally, in fear of being shunned by society. But soon artifacts leak out and the act of creating has begun.
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