Goshen College professor and student receive awards at regional art exhibition

John Mishler, professor of art, and Sunday Mahaja, a senior art major from Lagos, Nigeria, each received two awards for their art at the 36th Elkhart Juried Regional Art Exhibition on Friday, Oct. 10. The exhibition will run through Dec. 7, 2014 at the Midwest Museum of American Art.

Mishler’s sculptures “Dream Shadows” and “Winged Flight” won the Drs. Terry Bryant and Liz Elliot Purchase Award and the Drs. Gordon and Jennifer Hughes Purchase Award. Both sculptures are made of aluminum.

“I was inspired by the visual movement that developed as I worked on both of these pieces,” said Mishler. “The taller sculpture ‘Dream Shadows’ looks like it is standing on wheels, which is new to my work.”

Mahaja’s sculpture “Tree of Life” won the William and Jeanne Batten Memorial Merit Award for Sculpture and the Dr. Wesley Mark & Dr. Mary Harder Purchase Award.

“It’s called ‘Tree of Life’ because it represents the cycles of life,” said Mahaja. “It represents the continuation of life from the material world into the spiritual world.”

The Juried Regional Art Exhibition is an annual all-media competition open to artists 18 years and older in the Michiana area. Entrants may submit one or two original works created within the last two years.

Located in downtown Elkhart, the Midwest Museum of American Art is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

– Ariel Ropp