Meet the 2017 Scholastic Judges
The Mid-South Scholastic Art Awards is an annual juried student exhibition presented by the Brooks and the Brooks Museum League. The Awards honor exemplary artworks by regional students in grades seven through 12 by recognizing their outstanding achievements in a competitive annual exhibition. Click here to see the top awards.
Student artwork submissions are blindly adjudicated by local and prominent figures in the visual arts. Jurors look for works that exemplify three core values: originality, technical skill and the emergence of personal voice or vision.
Meet this year's judges
Brandon Bell is a digital media consultant and Assistant Professor of Graphic Design at the University of Memphis. He produces and designs for print, advertising and major live events, and was creative director of Design-O-Matic in NYC. His clients include TED Talks, The Tony Awards, PBS and Stax Museum. Brandon's work has received awards from the Emmys, Webbys, One Show, and American Advertising Awards.
Angela Christopher has her doctorate in Instructional Design and Technology from the University of Memphis. She is currently an Assistant Professor in Art Education at the Memphis College of Art. Angela began her career as a visual arts and graphic media instructor with Shelby County Schools and then as the Teacher Effectiveness Coordinator for Tipton County Schools where she designed and delivered professional development and learning programs for teachers and administrators. Her published articles present her research on teacher support systems, visual arts technologies, and technology integration.
Terry Lynn was born in Memphis TN and grew up in Arlington, graduating with a BFA from the University of Memphis. Terry uses sculpture, painting and installations to explore the complexity between art and life. Inspired by narratives and personal revelations, he creates artworks that evoke and challenge the viewers’ memories and emotional response. Terry collaborates with his twin brother Jerry under the signature "Twin” and their work is shown locally at the David Lusk Gallery, regionally at the Tennessee State Museum and internationally through the Art in Embassies (AIE) cultural exchange.
Jin H. Powell is a multimedia sculptor based in Memphis. Her works advocate for women’s rights, utilizing art to gain awareness of historical events, including her recent exhibition: Silent Scream, a visualization of the women suffrage in WWII. Jin’s work is exhibited in numerous solo and group exhibitions, as well as permanent collections worldwide, including The State Capital of Tennessee. A native of China, Jin acquired her BFA at The Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing and her MFA from Memphis College of Art.
Sarah Rossi is a native of Corsica and the former Director of Photography for Downtown Magazine in NYC. She is the owner of Sarah Rossi Photography in Memphis and is the official photographer for the Scout Guide Memphis and the Child Advocacy Center. Her award winning advertising photography features many Memphis businesses. Sarah was a vital part of the creative team for the Tony Awards virtual sets from 2012-2015 and TED Talks Live in 2015-2016.
Katherine Vergos grew up in Memphis and is a graduate of White Station High School. She has a BFA in Apparel Design from the Rhode Island School of Design and worked for Ralph Lauren in NYC as assistant designer. After working at her family's restaurant, The Rendezvous, in marketing and retail, she and her sister Anna opened The Art Project, a children's art studio in Overton Square.