MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — A Middle Tennessee State University publication recently recognized several students for their creative talents in a variety of expressive forms.

Collage: A Journal of Creative Expression honors outstanding submissions each semester with its Creative Expression Awards, and several MTSU students were recently recognized for their exceptional creative works.

The awards, established in honor of Martha Hixon — chair of the 2004 Collage Ad Hoc Committee and a longtime member of the Collage Advisory Board — and in memory of art professor Lon Nuell, celebrate artistic and literary excellence.

This year’s winners include:

• Emilee Vecchio, a marketing major from Murfreesboro – Poetry, “LOVE OR LOSS”
• Katie Olexy, a theatre major from Murfreesboro – Prose, “Dead or Alive?”
• Ava Byars, a biology major from Smyrna – Art, “Heart Eyes” (shown in graphic illustration above)
• Vega Rochat, a photography major from Oneida – Photography, “Neon Nights” (shown in graphic illustration above)
• Lucas De Freitas, an animation major from Germantown – Video, “Our Heart’s Silent Rapture”

“I had reflected on some experiences and events that had accumulated in my life and thought about those moments in shows when characters were shown having ‘hearts for eyes’ when they became infatuated with another character,” said Byars of her winning art entry. 

“I thought about the inverse, a heart with eyes. What would that look like? What would a heart look like if it knows what it wants, and knows what and who has hurt it? Love isn’t blind, and hearts have minds of their own.”

The Creative Expression Awards aim to inspire high-quality submissions. Each winner receives a $75 prize and a special mention in the biannual publication.

Being named for these awards is also something winners can add to their resumes.

“In the future, I would like to experience working in other fields of animation not necessarily related to storytelling, such as medical or commercial animation, to get a better understanding of the animation pipeline and working for clients,” explained De Freitas. “Later on, I’d love to work in-house for animation studios and start my own if I get the opportunity!”

Since 1968, Collage has served as a creative outlet for MTSU students, showcasing their talents through a student-run publication. With more than 20 awards available, Collage is the university’s premier platform for student creativity.

For more information, visit collage.mtsu.edu. 

— Robin E. Lee (Robin.E.Lee@mtsu.edu)