By Elizabeth Rhoades / Staff writer

Lambda Pi Eta, the communication honor society, had a successful annual spring art show Wednesday, March 19. A good-sized group of people showed up to see the art and to witness the awards ceremony.

There were not your typical cheese and fruit plates as appetizers, but instead pita, hummus and spanakopita, a Greek pastry.

Many that came to look at the work agreed with the judge’s decisions. The judge, Carol Brode, is a professor at Seton Hill University, where she also serves as director of the Harlan Gallery. Besides being a teacher, she is also an artist whose collection of artwork hangs in such galleries as The Carnegie Museum of Art, The Pittsburgh Center for the Arts and The State Museum of Pennsylvania.

The big winner of the night was UPG student and photographer Michelle Sarver.

Sarver was awarded best of show for her photograph “Glass Exhibit.”

Brode said that Sarver’s photograph was a beautiful display of color and texture. However, she said the reason she picked the work was because of how much it intrigued her. The photo was full of golden yellow curves, with a shine that reflected amazing light.

Sarver said the photo was taken at the Phipps Conservatory where artist Dale Chihuly displayed many of his glass sculptures. Sarver’s photograph was a blown-up close-up of one of Chihuly’s sculptures.

“I was really, really excited,” Sarver said. “I just got money for something I love doing.”

A crowd favorite was a drawing done by Ashley Andrews. It was an ink drawing of a tree that looked to have been done on many different sheets of paper, and then cut up. It was then glued back together using the different pieces from the different paper to make one unique drawing.

Photography was the stand-out medium at this year’s art show, largely because of digital cameras and photography software.

Many of the items in the competition are currently for sale, including a purple, knitted purse made by Sheila Confer.