A video by Skyler Knutzen, an Iowa State University student, was named best-in-show at the seventh annual Biorenewables Art Competition held on Earth Day, April 22. The video, “Nail in the Coffin,” uses a horror movie theme to show the negative effect car emissions have on our environment. Knutzen receives a cash award of $750 for his entry.

This year’s competition marked the first in which videos were allowed entry. “Video is a growing medium for art, so we wanted to encourage students working in this medium to enter our competition,” said Jill Euken, BEI deputy director. Eleven videos were entered in the competition:

Art Meets Science

The competition is aimed at students from Iowa State’s College of Design, who create works that reflect the mission of the Bioeconomy Institute. The event connects them with the research occurring in the Biorenewables Research Laboratory located adjacent to the College of Design.

The other winners in this year were physical works of art. First place and $350 went to Limay Vong for “Phase I, Phase I,” a ceramic work. Cassandra Corbin took second place and $250 for “Battle to Go Green,” a 3D mixed media piece, while Amanda Miller won third place and $150 for “River birch (Betula nigra),” a digital painting. The jurors awarded Alyssa Campbell an honorable mention for her watercolor, “Beauty of Biofuels.”

The art was evaluated by a jury that included Mary Holtze, an adjunct art professor at Des Moines Area Community College; Kristin M. Roach, an Ames-based artist; and Jacqulyn Baughman, director of graduate education (DOGE) for the Biorenewables Resources and Technology program at Iowa State.

The videos and all of the art was on display until March 2017 in the lobby of the Biorenewables Research Laboratory, located on the west side of the Iowa State campus.