SIT AND LOOK ELEGANT — Bryce Benson, left, presents his graphic design work at a reception for his senior exhibit in Moses-Provine Hall on April 23 — just one day after receiving the top prize at the Juried Student Art & Design Show. | OBU photo by Lily Roddy
By CHASE HARTSELL | OBU News Bureau
Ouachita Baptist University’s Bryce Benson, a senior graphic design major from Forney, Texas, took home first place in the university’s 2026 Juried Student Art & Design Show with his terracotta pencil piece titled “Sit and Look Elegant.”
“Winning first place in this year’s show was amazing,” Benson said. “As a graphic design major, being recognized for something I made with my own hands instead of on a screen made me feel accomplished. I didn’t start doing portraiture drawings until my second year here, but this achievement has helped me want to pursue the art form further, continuing to improve in the future.”
According to Benson, his submission took roughly one month and more than 15 terracotta pencils to make.
“I wanted to break from a porcelain look and show a deeper emotion, and I tried to help evoke that feeling through the title, not just the drawing,” he said. “The subject being told to ‘sit and look elegant’ is pretty foolish, given the time and emotions she’s dedicating to what she’s being asked to do. If you’re wondering why she appears not so happy in the drawing, imagine how you would feel if you were told the same.”
Winners were announced during a reception held on Scholars Day, April 22, in Hammons Art Gallery at Mabee Fine Arts Center. Sponsored by the Ouachita Art Club, the show’s free, public exhibit features the work of 17 students and will be on display through the end of Homecoming & Family Weekend on October 3.
Benson chaired this year’s show alongside co-chair Malia Gattis, a junior biology and studio art double major from Oak Point, Texas. With the help of other students, they installed all the pieces in the exhibit, which were chosen from 65 submissions. Courtney Wilson, a sculptor from Little Rock, Arkansas, juried the competition.
Norah Vinson, a freshman art education major from Little Rock, Arkansas, received second place for her soft pastel work titled “Pre-Game.” Natalia Zamora, a senior graphic design major, earned third place for her “Bloom Energy Drinks” digital design series. Leila Langdon, a junior art major from Bossier City, Louisiana, was recognized with the Professor’s Choice Award for her acrylic submission, “Joe & Me.” Other pieces showcased in the exhibit include:
- “Heaven and Earth” and “A Whole Lotta Junk” by Halle Browning
- “A Central Print” and “An Eastern Scroll” by Ella Dickinson
- “Blooming Daydream” by Victoria Duran
- “Phoca vitulina,” “Balaenoptera acutorostrata,” “Daisy,” “Flensing” and “On My Mind” by Malia Gattis
- “The Spirit” by Alyssa Jones
- “Bella” and “Tarsee” by Reece Kailey
- “I Could Eat the Sky” and “Stars in Your Palms” by Madeline King
- “IT Book Cover” by Braden Mayes
- “Psalm 36:5–7” by Emily Ann Pryor
- “The Longer You Look, The More Dinosaurs You See” by Parker Raines
- “Consume” and “They’re Selling You” by Vinson
- “Babybel Suit Jacket Advertisement” by Kahlea Wilson
- “Star Wars Minimalist Landscapes” by Ella Wooten
- “Kindred Spirits,” “Hydrangeas and Butterflies,” “Briar Rose” and “Carousel Dreams” by Emily Yokem
- “Made of Color” by Zamora
To learn more about studying art and design at Ouachita, visit obu.edu/art-design or contact the Office of Admissions Counseling at 870-245-5110 or admissions@obu.edu.