Badin Hall's annual signature event offers something unique, Academic Commissioner Melissa Guinan said.
The Badin Art Show, which showcases the work of student and local artists, opened Thursday.
"It's a different type of signature event, and it appeals to a different kind of audience," Guinan said. "You get people who wouldn't come to other events, like dances."
Guinan said the event, organized by Badin's Academic Commission members, has always been a big success.
"It's our fall signature event," Guinan said. "It's been going on for at least the past four or five years."
While most of Badin attended the opening, most of the participants in the art show aren't from Badin, Guinan said.
"Only six girls out of the 30 or more participants are from Badin," Guinan said.
The participants are from all over campus, and include several art students from Saint Mary's College and some local residents, Guinan said. The number of participants also rose this year.
"We have art students and non-art students," Guinan said. "We have lots of different mediums and styles."
These include some first-time mediums and unique works, including music recordings and a choreographed dance, Guinan said.
Meg Keegan, a junior, said she decided to participate after noticing the call for entries on her dorm's Stall Notes.
"I'm an Environmental Sciences major," Keegan said. "I like art on the side. [The Badin Art Show] is a great way to get to know other artists. I didn't know this kind of stuff happened."
Sophomores Zach Stackhouse and Jamie Baffa entered a collaborative painting into the contest.
"We took up the opportunity when it became available," Stackhouse said.
"This is the first time we've participated in this sort of event on campus." Baffa said. "We needed an artistic outlet, even though we're bad at art."
"It's one of my favorite parts about Notre Dame — the presence of art on campus," Stackhouse said.
Erin Hallagan, a sophomore and member of Badin's Academic Commission, said she is looking forward to seeing all the artwork.
"[The Academic Commission] gets to hang all the artwork and position the lighting,"
Hallagan said. "That's my favorite part. I like being able to look at the art in a private setting and getting to see what looks good where."
Hallagan also said she enjoys seeing the descriptions under the artists' names.
"I like seeing why the artist chose to do it," she said.
Prizes were awarded for first, second and third places. Saint Mary's junior Eileen Laskowski won first place with a drawing titled "Nervous Habits."
"It was a pleasant surprise," Laskowski, an art major, said. "This year I started to get serious [about art competitions]. This is the first step. I'm seeing how my work compares to others my age."
Laskowski participated in last year's Badin Art Show.
"Last year I took a course here at Notre Dame," Laskowski said. "The drawing professor mentioned it. This year, I knew one of the coordinators. I just finished this piece. I decided to put it in."
Second place went to fifth year senior Matthew Degnan for his digital photograph, "The Forgotten." Third place went to freshman Audrey Hayes for her oil painting, "Girl With an iPod." Also third place was sophomore Waylon Chen for his wire sculpture "Widemouth Bass."
The show, which will run through Nov. 19 in Badin's social space, is free to attend.
