Birmingham neighbors show work in annual art show

BIRMINGHAM — Art created by local talent is now on display for this year’s edition of the Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center’s Current Student Works Show, running through March 13.

In the show, students of the BBAC have the opportunity to showcase current work that was created in the last year.

“I am completely blown away by the talent that is hidden in these walls here at the Art Center. It is a privilege to be among such great artists, whether they’re just starting out or if they’re seasoned artists,” Annie VanGelderen, president and CEO of the BBAC, said. “It is a great place and I encourage everyone to come see what’s happening.”

The juror for this year’s show is Anita Bates, a contemporary artist from Highland Park. Bates is a 2019 Kresge Arts Fellow and has had her works shown in exhibits locally, nationally and internationally. She works at Wayne State University as an assistant professor of teaching and program coordinator for visual art education.

Each year, the BBAC selects an outside juror for the Current Student Works Show to avoid bias. A total of 270 works of art were submitted and Bates selected 196 to be juried into the show.

In addition to showcasing the work of students, the show also illuminates the BBAC’s instructors and class offerings.

“It really is a celebration of what is being accomplished in our studios,” VanGelderen said. “It is also a celebration of our incredible instructors that are making these students produce this wonderful art.”

Maria Marcotte, winner of the President’s Award, has two pieces in the Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center. The pieces, titled, “Tim Hortons” and “West on Maple, Early March,” are oil paintings of scenes throughout Birmingham.  Marcotte’s instructor for the classes where she created these works was Ed Duff.

Marcotte has been taking classes for about 15 years and has entered into the Current Student Works Show before. Since painting can be a very solitary art practice, she said it is nice to be able to go to the BBAC for a sense of community with other artists.

“It’s an incredible resource we have and I just can’t say enough about that because it’s a real asset to our community, having the level of teaching and the level of availability for these kinds of learning for local people,” Marcotte said.

Award winner Marjie Benson has two pieces in the show, “Aerial Celebration” and “The Jazz Band” from her work with instructor  Andrea Tama. When looking at the abstract and colorful piece, “Aerial Celebration,”  Benson said it looks like she’s looking at a city from above.

Benson, a former art teacher, has been going to the BBAC for years and will often feel inspired to go back to her studio and paint after her classes. She said she spent so many years teaching painting, and now that she is doing her own painting, she asks herself, “What took me so long to get over here and do this?”

To see the full list of artists and works in the show, visit bbartcenter.org/2025-current-student-works-show-results.