Strands of yarn intricately woven in the pattern of a scarf remain untouched. Pieces of an old soup can press into a series of feathers. These elements make up the pieces of artwork hanging in Marshall University Interim President Gary White’s office, and they are all student creations.

Donald Van Horn, dean of the College of Arts and Media, said previous Interim President Michael Farrell decided to incorpate student artwork in his office approximately 10 years ago.

“He hurried and collected up pieces for the office,” Van Horn said. “Then when Dr. (Stephen J.) Kopp took over, he liked the idea and set up a tradition.”

Kopp attended the annual Student Juried Exhibition every year he was in office and selected his favorite pieces to display.

Four pieces hanging in office are “Painting Ephemera One” by Allen Armel, “Chicken Soup” by Ashley Taylor, “Untitled” by Kaitlin Arwood and “Numimous” by Jillian Smallwood.

Armel’s piece is a mixture of oil paint, paint tubes and small incense sticks. He said he wanted to use all of his left over materials from the semester to create an abstract composition.

“I was really shocked when I found out my piece had been picked because it really didn’t fit in with the others,” Armel said. “It was an oddity.”

Taylor had a canvas with mixed media painting. Its main focus is a can of chicken noodle soup, and it features several feathers.

Arwood utilized yarn for her piece and created a colorful scarf, while Smallwood’s traditional approach showcased a sketched drawing.

This year’s annual Student Juried Exhibition is set for April 9 at the Birke Art Gallery in Smith Hall.

Amy Napier can be contacted at [email protected].