Aims Community College invites the public to celebrate student creativity at the opening exhibit of the Aims Student Art Show on April 11 from 5:30-8 p.m. at the Aims Loveland Campus, 104 E. 4th Street. The event is free and open to the community. Light refreshments will be served.
This juried exhibition highlights the incredible talent of Aims students while providing them with valuable experience showcasing their work in a professional setting. The Best in Show winner will receive an Aims Community College scholarship of up to $350. Other honorable mentions in multiple categories will be awarded prizes as well.
“This show gives students real-world experience,” says Sarah Cameron, campus coordinator of the Loveland campus and art show organizer. “They learn how to professionally hang their work, write an artist statement and be part of a juried exhibition. That’s huge if they want to pursue a career in the arts.”
This year’s theme, “identities and understanding,” challenges student artists to explore self-expression and personal narratives through visual art. Attendees will meet the artists, gain insight into their creative processes and appreciate diverse artwork.
“The pieces this year are deeply personal. One student submitted a work about their immigration story, another about their chosen family,” Cameron says. “This show is about more than just art—it’s about storytelling and human connection.”
All Aims students were encouraged to submit their finished 2D and 3D artwork for consideration in a variety of categories, including painting, graphic art, prints and drawings, photography and clay. Submissions were also welcomed in fiber, textiles, wood, metal, plastic and mixed or conceptual media, such as collage. Additionally, digital art pieces are eligible for consideration.
“Sometimes when people hear ‘student art show,’ they think of an elementary school display. But this show feels so professional—our students create truly incredible, thought-provoking work,” Cameron says.
Students growing as artists
Pepper Feldman (pictured above) is pursuing a general Associate of Arts degree at Aims with plans to transfer to the University of Northern Colorado to complete a psychology degree. Feldman won the Best in Show at the 2024 Aims Student Art Show and submitted art to the show this year. Though he doesn’t study art formally, creativity has always played a significant role in his life. His artistic style revolves around intricate ballpoint pen drawings. It is a deeply personal form of self-expression for him. While many of his pieces carry strong themes, he prefers to keep art as a passion rather than a profession.
“Art is something personal to me,” Feldman says. “I enjoy drawing when I get to decide what I’m creating, not when someone else is telling me what to do.”
Ashlen Livingston is an Aims student pursuing an associate degree in liberal arts. As an elective, she enrolled in a visual arts class.
“I’ve always enjoyed drawing, and I’ve always been pretty good at it,” she says. “I thought it was going to improve my skills, which it did, and I’ve done a lot of stuff that I would have never tried otherwise, like different media and sizes.”
Ashlen’s experience in class gave her the confidence to submit to the 2024 Aims Art Show, where she won a Best in Concept honorable mention for her portrait of Trixie Mattel. She is also participating in the art show this year. She says she likes making art “to express my values.”
Tyler Riehl has already obtained a liberal arts degree at Aims, and she is now pursuing graphic design at the college. She aspires to make art her full-time career. She says that last year’s art show was a positive experience.
“I had a good time doing it,” she says. “It was fun to go see it with my friends.”
The perspective she brings to her art show submissions this year combines personal creativity with practical application. Riehl suggests others get involved with art at Aims.
“Even if it’s not part of your degree, it’s really fun,” she says. “It’s good to get your creative juices flowing. It keeps you active.”
Attend the opening reception
The opening reception on April 11 coincides with Loveland’s Night on the Town Art Walk, a popular monthly event celebrating local art and culture every second Friday. The Aims Student Art Show remains open to the public through June 5, offering more time to enjoy student artwork.
“Loveland is an incredibly artistic community, known nationwide for its sculpture work and creative culture,” Cameron says. “Hosting the student art show here allows us to connect with that energy and invite the public into our space to see what our students can do.”
For more information about the event, visit events.aims.edu.
