Benson Campus Galleries

The Department of Visual Arts at Greenville Technical College is thrilled to announce the 35th Annual Upstate High School Art Exhibition (AUHSAE). 51 teachers from 25 Upstate high schools submitted 199 works created by 182 students. The exhibition consists of 13 categories including traditional media such as drawing, painting, and ceramics and also specialized media such as fiber, metals, and animation. AUHSAE is a true survey of the quality and variety of visual arts in Upstate high school programs.
 
AUHSAE is a juried exhibition. The initial jurying process is completed by the high school art instructors. They choose student works to represent the quality and diversity of their individual programs. These diligent teachers make sure exhibition entry criteria are met and then deliver their student entries to a designated collection point. All of their selections are on view in the Benson Campus Galleries. An independent, professional artist serves as the awards juror. The juror, without access to artist, teacher, or school identities, chooses awards within each category. Each AUHSAE cash award is divided between the winning student and that student’s art program.

The 2025 AUHSAE juror is Jim Campbell. Jim's paintings, drawings, and prints are in public and private collections across the Southeast, and he is also an accomplished builder of acoustic musical instruments. Jim received his early education in Greenville County public schools and then earned a BFA from the University of Georgia. He taught high school visual art for 32 years in Greenville County. After much looking, seeing, and contemplating the exhibition entries, Jim commented, “Artists in this exhibition represent themselves as artists, but by having work selected, they also have the honor of representing their art program - and by extension - their school. Congratulations to all the young artists and their teachers.” He continues, “It is always nice to see such a wide range of materials and ideas in an exhibition like this. I was especially heartened to see the large number of 3D works entered this year. Another welcome general observation: young artists who have grown up using digital media seem to now use it as just another good tool in the art toolbox - rather than being limited by the obvious ease of digital drawing, painting, or photography features found in commercial software.”
 
On Wednesday, April 16, beginning at 6:30 p.m., the 35th Annual Upstate High School Art Exhibition award winners and their schools will be recognized at the AUHSAE Awards Presentation in GTC’s Benson Campus amphitheater. GTC’s Department of Visual Arts also produces an exhibition catalog picturing each award-winning work and listing all AUHSAE participants. The 35th AUHSAE catalog will be available for students and their teachers at the Awards Presentation.
 
The 35th AUHSAE cash awards and exhibition catalog are made possible through grants, corporate sponsorships, and individual donations. Thank you to the Metropolitan Arts Council, Indigo Hope Foundation, Elbert W. Rogers Foundation, APCO Plastics, the Greenville Tech Foundation, Cynthia and Bruce Eason, Alan Ethridge, Danielle Fontaine, and Bill McLendon for their generous support of these young artists and Upstate visual arts education. (MAC receives support from the City of Greenville, BMW Manufacturing Company, SEW Eurodrive, the South Carolina Arts Commission, and many other sources.)