An array of dots and dashes of color that spell CVAD in Morse Code
Thursday, February 5, 2026

Mixed media painting by Haley CourtneyOne of two winning Juror's Choice Awards is "Let Me Out," 2025, mixed media on canvas by Haley Courtney.

CVAD Galleries Announces Winners of the 2025–26 Voertman Student Competition

Sixty talented students submitted 220 artworks in December in preparation for the 65th annual Paul Voertman Juried Student Competition and Exhibition for the juror's consideration. This year's renowned artist, Victor "Marka27" Quiñonez, selected works by 22 students for the exhibition.

"The competition and exhibition are always a joy, and this year’s submissions were especially exciting," said Stefanie Dlugosz-Acton, director and curator, CVAD Galleries. "Students shared work that was bold, inventive and deeply personal," Dlugosz-Acton said. "We are grateful to have Marka27 as our juror; his talent, insight and generosity made this year’s exhibition especially meaningful."

The exhibition opened Feb. 4, 2026, in the Cora Stafford Gallery, Room 100, of the UNT Art Building and remains on view through Feb. 28. The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m.

Young person wearing glasses and holding a stuffed animal

Awards

Juror's Choice Awards

Haley Courtney, undergraduate, Studio Art: Drawing & Painting
"Let Me Out," 2025, mixed media on canvas

Jordan Young, undergraduate, Studio Art: Drawing & Painting
"My Friend and I," 2025, colored pencil, acrylic markers and oil pastels

Honorable Mentions

Ham Bergman, undergraduate, Studio Art: Drawing & Painting
"Bookworm," 2024, oil on canvas

Melanie Gomez, undergraduate, Studio Art: Drawing & Painting
"When the Night Calls (Come to Me)," 2025, oil on masonite

Nash Harris, undergraduate, Fashion Design
"Supermarket Bros.," 2025, graphite, colored pencil and watercolor on paper

Nadin Nassar, graduate student, Studio Art: Sculpture
"razed grounds," 2025, etched fabric and mirrored acrylic

Jalen Colton Sanchez, undergraduate, Studio Art: Sculpture
"Giant of the Pecan Tree," 2025, mixed media

Juror's Comments

Victor Quinonez is standing with his arms crossed. He wears a dark jacket and a baseball cap.
Victor "Marka27" Quiñonez, artist, creative director, B.F.A., 2003, School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Massachusetts
Serving as the 2025–26 juror, Victor “Marka27” Quiñonez described the selection process as both rigorous and rewarding, noting the breadth of practices represented across the submissions.
 
“It was refreshing to see such a diverse group of practicing artists and the wide range of mediums UNT students are experimenting with,” Quiñonez said. “That diversity made the judging experience challenging in a positive way.”
 
Across the entries, authenticity emerged as a defining strength.
“What stood out to me was how much of the work felt rooted in the students’ lived experiences,” Quiñonez said. “Many of the pieces felt culturally relevant while still demonstrating a strong balance of technique and material.”
 
Selecting a single first-place work proved difficult, given the overall quality of the submissions. Ultimately, the two top-ranked pieces distinguished themselves through clarity of vision and narrative strength.
“Honestly, they all could have been first place, but we can only choose one,” Quiñonez said. “The first-place work presented a strong point of view and a unique approach, with a bold narrative that really stood out.”
 
When evaluating the work, Quinoñez emphasized both technical understanding and intentionality.
“I look for an artist’s command of their medium and how they push a piece beyond what’s expected,” Quiñonez said. “That extra level of care and risk in the execution is often what sets a work apart.”
 
Reflecting on his own education, Quiñonez cited mentorship as a formative influence on his artistic development.
“One of my most meaningful experiences in art school was being mentored by Maria Madalena Campos-Pons,” Quiñonez said. “She encouraged vulnerability in my work and modeled what it means to create unapologetically from lived experience. Her practice — and her example — continues to influence how I see art and artists today.”

Selected Exhibitors

Art Education Undergraduates
Ruben Reyes | Chloe Thorburn

Fashion Design | Graduate Student
Manikya Sai Tejaswini Vallabhajosyula

Studio Art | Undergraduates
Drawing & Painting 
Lauren Barbee | Patience Burr | Clare Earnest | Domonique Harris
Lillie Hickman | Cayce Jondro | Chloe Nixon | Sivan Shteiman

Metalsmithing & Jewelry 
Harley Hudson

Printmaking
Talbot Kenney | Yasmin Ramirez

New Media Art
Alicia Robles

Gallery of Juror's Choice Awards & Honorable Mentions

  • Mixed-media composition showing cutout figures of children and adults arranged across a brown interior space, with playful illustrated elements including a window, balloon and toy sword.
  • Painted portrait of a young person wearing glasses and a striped shirt, hugging a pink cartoon-like plush figure against a patterned pink background.
  • Painted scene of a person wearing a patterned quilted jacket and fur hat, reading a book while seated among leafy plants near a window.
  • Painted partially nude figure standing against a blue background, arms raised behind the head, rendered with expressive brushstrokes and warm earth tones.
  • Mixed-media portrait of a figure wearing a pink dress and gold crown, with long red hair against a blue sky background and dripping yellow shapes above.
  • Wall-mounted mixed-media artwork on translucent, irregularly edged fabric, stained in warm amber and tan tones, with a large central cutout revealing layered imagery behind it; fragments of an American flag pattern, including stripes and white stars, are embedded within the material.
  • Wall-mounted sculptural form with a central seated figure, radiating extensions and circular motifs, finished in rust red and turquoise tones against a white background.

Image Descriptions

Juror's Choice Awards
"Let Me Out" by Haley Courtney
Mixed-media composition showing cutout figures of children and adults arranged across a brown interior space, with playful illustrated elements including a window, balloon and toy sword.
 
 "My Friend and I" by Jordan Young
Painted portrait of a young person wearing glasses and a striped shirt, hugging a pink cartoon-like plush figure against a patterned pink background.
Honorable Mentions
"Bookworm" by Ham Bergman
Painted scene of a person wearing a patterned quilted jacket and fur hat, reading a book while seated among leafy plants near a window.
 
"When the Night Calls (Come to Me)" by Melanie Gomez
A painted figure standing against a blue background, arms raised behind the head, rendered with expressive brushstrokes and warm earth tones.
 
"Supermarket Bros." by Nash Harris
Mixed-media portrait of a person wearing a pink dress and gold crown, with long red hair against a blue sky background and dripping yellow shapes above.
 
"razed grounds" by Nadin Nassar
Wall-mounted mixed-media artwork on translucent, irregularly edged fabric, stained in amber and tan tones, with a large central cutout revealing layered imagery behind it; fragments of an American flag pattern, including stripes and white stars, are embedded within the material.
 
"Giant of the Pecan Tree" by Jalen Colton Sanchez
Wall-mounted sculptural form with a central seated figure, radiating extensions and circular motifs, finished in rust red and turquoise tones against a white background.