Story by Emily Williams, Features Editor

Photo courtesy of Anna Sohl

Opportunity was afforded to Anna Sohl, senior from Paducah, Kentucky and member of The Organization of Murray Art Students (OMAS) recently when she was granted the MAGPie Award, a Murray Art Guild Exhibition Award, for the design of her unique, hand-crafted ceramic pieces.

Sohl said The Murray Art Guild is a nonprofit organization that supports the arts, especially around the community. After entering some of her ceramic pieces in a student art exhibition that OMAS organizes and displays in the Clara M. Eagle Gallery each year, she said she heard her name announced as the winner for the MAGpie award and accepted the honor.

“I honestly remember being surprised when my name was announced that evening, since there was so much talent and skill shown within the entire exhibition,” Sohl said. “I feel honored to be a recipient of the MAGpie Award.”

Sohl said the award came with an exhibition opportunity through Murray Art Guild that will be her first. Her solo art exhibition is called “Just Making.”

“The exhibition shows the general process of making ceramics as well as where I imagine my work to be,” Sohl said.

Sohl said she wants the viewer to get a sense that working with clay or even making art is a process which happens primarily in a studio or workspace.

“My exhibition is centered on the idea that I feel the most success when I am immersed in my studio and just making,” Sohl said.

Caitlin Hemenway, senior from Cadiz, Kentucky and president of OMAS at Murray State said Sohl is very active in the art department and is a very talented individual.

“She creates beautiful pieces and has presented nothing but kindness to those around her.” Hemenway said. “She is stunning and she absolutely deserves the honor. We all applaud her for even her future successes.”

Hemenway said she believes Sohl excels in the areas of 3D printing with an emphasis in ceramics.

Sohl said her first experience with clay was in grade school but it wasn’t until 2013, when she began working with a potter’s wheel, that she truly began her path to ceramics.

“The opportunity to have an exhibition has been a great learning experience,” Sohl said. “It’s sometimes hard to grasp what all has to go into creating and having an exhibition until you do it.”

According to the Murray Art Guild website, Sohl’s exhibit will be on display from Sep. 8 to Sep. 23 in their MAG gallery.