It’s been said life imitates art. Meridian Community College student, Meagan Hembree, flipped the phrase around to art imitating life into a top award-winning drawing. 

Her piece, “No War,” captured the No.1 prize in the 2022 MCC Fine Arts Student Competition. 

Hembree, a second-semester freshman, was one of 10 art students whose works earned an award in this show. For her efforts, Hembree received the John Michael Rushing Best of Show Award, and as a purchase award, she garnered a $200 honorarium. The work has become a part of the College’s permanent art collection. 

Award-winning Meridian artist James R. Smith, a retired MCC Fine Arts division instructor, served as the juror for this year’s event.  

Hembree, a 19-year-old art major, said drawing is a “major hobby of mine; I do it all the time.” This was the first time she had her talents shown in a gallery. But this work was different. 

“When I was making this, the war in Ukraine had just started,” she explained how she came about the subject of the collage piece. “I found some war images –from World War I and World War II – and thought I’ll put that in there. It was a good thing to make art about,” Hembree added.  

After her MCC studies, Hembree hopes to go to Germany to study and delve deeper into art. 

Additional winners in the show included:  

Two-dimensional design: Aurora Smith, “Untitled,” first; Alexander Coleman, “I Know,” second; Hembree, “Perspective,” third; and Smith, “Into the Woods,” fourth place. 

Drawing: Brian Lummus, “Pastel Still Life,” first; Janiyaah Phillips, “Sketch Book,” second; Viskiyya Muhammad, third; and Zyun Edmonds, “Abstract,” fourth place. 

Graphic design: Michaela Hill, “Nightmares,” first; Kyle Borntrager, “Wilderness Breeze,” second; Lummus, “Stars Fade,” third, and Edward Loundy, “Stars Fade,” fourth place. 

Winners received cash awards from the MCC Foundation; first-place winners garnered $100; second place, $75; third place, $50; and fourth place, $25.