Skip to Content

Stamps Students Receive Awards at 2026 Undergraduate Juried Exhibition

February 3, 2026

The Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design proudly celebrates exceptional work by our undergraduate students in the 2026 Undergraduate Juried Exhibition, on view at Stamps Gallery through February 21, 2026.

A panel of distinguished jurors – Guggenheim Fellow and CCS Professor Emeritus Carlos Diaz, WMU Professor Patricia Villalobos Echeverría, and Co-Founder of Hourglass Advisory Jessica Levy – selected 70 pieces from over 270 works submitted by Stamps students for inclusion in the exhibition, recognizing eight students with individual awards.

Undergraduate juried exhibition student award winners pose with the dean and guest jurors
Back row, L‑R: Student award winners Ava Muntner, Victoria Selektor, and Ellie Lee; Jurors Carlos Diaz, Jessica Levy, and Patricia Villalobos Echeverría; Stamps Dean Carlos Francisco Jackson; Student award winner David Byun. Front row, L‑R: Student award winners Christine Wu, Anna Chen, Ronan Baumhardt, and Ana Trujillo Garcia.

Stamps Dean and Professor Carlos Francisco Jackson announced the following awards at the exhibition’s opening reception on Friday, January 30.

Two people flee from giant red tentacles that emerge from a wavy ocean. One rides a bike and the other is running while holding a skateboard. They are fleeing along a cement breakwall. The sky is blue with fluffy white clouds.

Ronan Baumhardt: The Kraken

William A. Lewis Watercolor Prize: Established by Professor and Associate Dean Emeritus William A. Lewis (BDES '48) to support excellence in watercolor by undergraduate students.

In my painting, I do not show graphic violence. Instead, I express the tragedy in a poetic way—an obscured sense of death and loss, a burning sky mixed with clear blue, and a church cross that reflects the search for hope. Even in devastation, God’s presence offers strength.

David Byun: 1950 Korean War in Seoul

Guy Palazzola Memorial Award: Established in memory of Professor and Associate Dean Emeritus Guy Palazzola for excellent student work at the Undergraduate Juried Exhibition.

An out of focus photograph that suggests a female figure sitting off center on a bed

Anna Chen: After Hours

Alice Elizabeth Kalom Award: Established in memory of Alice Elizabeth Kalom (BFA '69) to provide support to a Senior student for excellence in photography.

Black and white poster showing 26 letters of the "Tile Display" typeface design

Ellie Lee: Tile Display Typeface

John H. McCluney Memorial Achievement Award: Established in memory of John McCluney (BS DES '67) to provide support to a senior student who displays particular excellence in the area of photography or graphic design.

A digital design concept titled “Morning Toast: Productivity and Goal Setting Tool.” The image shows a sleek, yellow toaster-like device on a light, airy desk. Below it, a series of app interface mockups are displayed, demonstrating the “Morning Toast App.” The UI screens show steps like “Good Morning!”, “Today’s Checklist,” “Select template,” and “All set? Confirm & toast!” in warm beige and brown tones. The interface includes checklist templates, goal-setting sections, and reminder features. The design evokes a productive yet calm, morning routine aesthetic combining physical and digital productivity.

Christine Wu: Morning Toast

William T. Carter Award: Established by Professor Emeritus and alum William T. Carter for a first-year student with an interest in industrial design whose work demonstrates a primary regard for factors of human health and safety

The exhibition opened with a reception from 6 — 8 p.m. on Friday, January 30. On Saturday, January 31, exhibiting students led a walkthrough with the artists from 2 — 4 p.m. The exhibition will be on view through February 21 at Stamps Gallery (201 South Division Street, Ann Arbor) and is free and open to the public.

For more information and to preview the work on view in the gallery, visit the 2026 Undergraduate Juried Exhibition page.