'No Big Heads' juror: Visual artist David Kassan came from Brooklyn, NY to jury the show, give a public lecture, and share drawing and painting demos with UAA art students.This year's NBH's was the 27th birthday for the exhibition of small-size self-portraits that arrive from around the country. Student Union Gallery Manager Tess Forstner told a crowd gathered to hear Brooklyn-based juror David Jon Kassan speak Oct. 22 that this year's competition had 159 entries. In an interview in The Northern Light, she mentioned that more entries came from out-of-state than ever before. Even some middle-schoolers submitted.

Kassan's Oct. 22 public lecture traced his fast-moving career and included samples from different chapters in his creative history, some that he even called "cringe-worthy." Listen to a podcast of it here. His last slide included these nine points as ways that he approaches the world, and recommends to others:

Do more than what you are told to do.
Try new things.
Teach others about what you know.
Take a lot of breaks.
Make work in to play and play in to work.
Work when others are resting.
Always be creating.
Make your own inspiration.
Love what you do or just don't do it.

Kassan gave time to UAA students with a painting demonstration and a drawing demonstration in campus studios. Find additional images at Northern Exposures, UAA's photoblog.

Kassan at work: The Brooklyn-based visual artist painted and drew subjects as demonstrations for UAA art students.

Congratulations to the winners:

Best in Show
Rebecca Orcutt
Breath
colored pencil

Honorable Mentions
Amanda Delight
Bold
oil

Wanda Seamster
Indirectly Direct
ballpoint pen

Xenia Vleger
Princess Langwidere
photography, original print

Juror's Choice
Joyce Coolidge
Self Portrait #2, Joyce
oil, acrylic

Lee Weiland
Introspection
oil on canvas board

Enzina Marrari
This Emptiness Has Weight
gesso, burlap, hair, stones, thread

Subway Starving Artist Award
Marherita DiGregorio
Qrious Expressions
mixed media

Student Award
Christopher Judd
Self
oil on board

A full list of participants can be found here.

DON'T MISS
Oct. 26-Nov. 4 UAA Dance Ensemble in Concert

Oct. 26, 6:30 pm Planetarium: 'Dynamic Earth'

Oct. 26, 8 pm Planetarium: Audiodome with DJ Max Jay

Oct. 27, 1-6 pm, Haunted Halloween

Oct. 30, 5-7 pm LIB 307 Vic Fischer's memoir, "To Russia with Love: An Alaskan's Journey' book launch celebration

Nov 7 11:30-1 pm, RH 122, 'So you want to negotiate salary, do you?' with Prof. Frank Jeffries

Nov. 8, 7 pm, LIB 307 Seawolf Debate: "The state of Alaska should restrict the size of sugary drinks to help curb obesity."

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