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Vaporwave music is a moderation of 1980s and 1990s music that uses selective R&B, jazz, and elevator music. Hunt says that her work has “that 80s render look to it on purpose,” saying that “if I listen to music, I can kind of make pieces out of it. I just listen to the music and produce what I hear.” Even though it can be quite a challenge to construct artwork inspired by music, Hunt says that during the start of drawing, music helps her “create stuff,” but sometimes her specific process of illustrating can take as long as a year to complete one piece.

During her most recently completed collection of artworks, Hunt explained that she took a year-long break from some of the pieces. She eventually finished the collection in 2022, which is when she first heard about the Hand and Art Center Juried Exhibition, an art show that celebrates students’ artworks.

Every year, artistic students are encouraged to apply for the art show no matter what their major is. Hunt said she was really nervous “because it was [her] first time putting pieces in for a competition,” and she didn’t know how it would go. Eventually, she got an email saying that she had been selected to be a part of the show. The next step was to show up on the day of the juried expedition.

The creative arts faculty gave out about eight awards. According to the Hand and Art Center, the winners of the show have their artwork added to the Hand Art Center’s permanent collection, which showcases many of the student artworks throughout campus buildings” if they win the Ann West Hall Purchase Award. Other awards like Best in Show, the Hand Art Center Award, Student Choice, and Non-Major Award are also given out.

For Hunt’s first time competing in an art show, she won the Best in Show award, which was selected by an outside juror named Leah Sandler. Hunt’s specific piece, titled “Hyperactive Cheetah,” caught the attention of many due to the vibrant neon colors and electric twist on a personified Cheetah.

“They usually announce the winners online, but this year was a little different. We got to stand next to each other and celebrate,” Hunt said.

Although Hunt is grateful for the recognition and she never imagined herself winning an award at Stetson, she still feels that she has a lot more to accomplish. In time, she hopes to be able to sell her artwork one day; having it shown and displayed on television is also on her bucket list.

Layout: Hayden Collins

Graphics: Alexa Hutton