Wayne Art Center Presents Student Works 2026 Exhibition and Awards
WAYNE, PA—July 21, 2026. Wayne Art Center is pleased to present the 2026 Student Works Exhibition, which opened with a public reception and awards ceremony on Thursday, July 16, from 4:00-6:00 pm. This annual exhibition showcases an impressive and diverse collection of artwork created by adult students who were enrolled in a class or workshop at the Wayne Art Center during the 2025-2026 school year. The exhibition will be on view from July 14 through August 14, 2026.
The 2026 Student Works Exhibition features 269 works by 174 students, including paintings, drawings, sculpture, ceramics, jewelry, stained glass, fiber, works on paper, photography and mixed media. This year’s juror of awards, Deirdre Murphy, is a contemporary visual artist whose work explores the intricate connections between art and ecology. Through the mediums of painting, printmaking, and collaborative sculpture, she examines the effects of the climate crisis on avian migration, nesting structures, and ecosystems. Murphy holds an MFA from the University of Pennsylvania and a BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute. She is currently an Associate Teaching Professor at Lehigh University, and her work is represented by Susanna Gold Gallery.
Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm. Wayne Art Center is closed on Saturdays and Sundays during the summer season.
2026 Student Show Award Winners
Award, Artist, Title, Medium
Jim Conway Memorial, Steve Chance, Mirror, Self-Portrait, Oil on Canvas
Laura Daddona Memorial, Kristina Austlid, Hot Chef, Watercolor
WAC Student Award, Heather Block Reilly, Peter’s Palette, Oil on Paper
WAC Student Award, Catherine Murdock, Pool House #1 & #2, Watercolor
WAC Student Award, Debbie Craley, Blue & White w/Melons, Oil
WAC Student Award, Jayne Finegan, Repose, Oil on Canvas
WAC Student Ceramics, Shannon Morris, Lizard Apothecary Jar, Stoneware
WAC Student Jewelry, Kit Shahab, Small Flower, Sterling Silver, Bronze
WAC Student Sculpture, Bill Hamm, The Conductor, Clay
WAC Student Special, Media Michael Swarr, Robie y Bellotas, Stain Glass
Honorable Mention, Ronnie Bookbinder, Golden Day, Acrylic
Honorable Mention, Margaret Boyd, Looking Through, Monotype
Honorable Mention, Meredith Brunel, Creative Comforts, Oil
Honorable Mention, Kathleen Childress, Stinger, AKA Yellow Jacket, Oil, Linen Canvas
Honorable Mention, Lynn Cohen, Women…Now, Oil
Honorable Mention, Iris Fang, Bubble Ring 1, Bronze
Honorable Mention, Elizabeth Holden, Waiting for Wind, Oil, Cradle Panel
Honorable Mention, Karen Jurina, I Have Everything I Need, Porcelain
Honorable Mention, Katrina Piechnik, Fairylume, Stoneware
Honorable Mention, Marth Vazquez, The Monarca, Stained Glass
Fall Adult classes and workshops begin September 22, 2026. Upcoming fall exhibitions include the 2026 Faculty Exhibition and the 2026 Fall Members Juried Art Exhibition on view September 8 through October 3, 2026. Opening receptions will be held for the 2026 Faculty Exhibition on Thursday, September 24, from 4-6 pm and for the 2026 Fall Members Exhibition on Sunday, September 20, from 2:00 - 4:00 pm. The Philadelphia Water Color Society’s 126th International Exhibition of Works on Paper will be on view from October 14 through November 14, with an opening reception and awards ceremony on Sunday, October 18, from 3:00 - 5:00 pm.
The fall season concludes with three outstanding exhibitions, Craft Forms 2026, the 31st International Exhibition of Contemporary Fine Craft, Made in Philadelphia, A Celebration of Contemporary Craft and Attraction to Abstraction, a reginal exhibition of abstract works. These exhibitions open to the public on Sunday, December 7 with Gallery Talks from 1:00 -4:00 pm., and remain on view through January 23, 2027.
Wayne Art Center is located at 413 Maplewood Avenue in Wayne, PA 19073. For more information about classes, workshops, exhibitions, and upcoming events, please visit www.wayneart.org or contact us at 610-688-3553.
About Wayne Art Center
Wayne Art Center has been enriching the cultural life of the community since 1931. From its modest beginnings as the first art center on Philadelphia’s Main Line, the Center has grown into a dynamic non-profit cultural resource offering instruction in the visual, culinary and performing arts. Over 500 classes and workshops are offered annually to nearly 5,000 students of all ages and skill levels. For more than 95 years, Wayne Art Center’s committed and distinguished faculty has helped establish the Center as a leader in arts education and community engagement. The Davenport, Ethel Sergeant Clark Smith, and Vidinghoff Galleries welcome more than 35,000 visitors each year for exhibitions, lectures, performances, and special events.
