Visual arts students shine in off-campus contests and exhibitions
Two students share highlights including blue ribbons, a museum gallery, and a national tour.
Peregrine Schulz works on "Unravel," a piece which was featured in the Twelve-by-Twelve exhibition at the Dennos Museum; was included in the program for Imagine US: America at 250; and will soon travel to The National K-12 Ceramic Exhibition.
Becoming a professional visual artist takes countless hours of studio time. Equally exciting, however, is when all the hard work pays off and a piece is finally ready for display. At Interlochen Arts Academy, students don’t have to wait for college to see their work on gallery walls. They’re already exhibiting their art through an array of off-campus shows, contests, and other opportunities. We caught up with seniors Peregrine Schulz and Muniba Ritman Oke, who shared how national tours, contest wins, and more have bolstered their artistic confidence and provided valuable professional experience.
Peregrine Schulz: “Opportunities at my fingertips”
Peregrine Schulz is a third-year junior from Wisconsin who is focusing on sculpture and ceramics. This spring, her work is being shown at the Dennos Museum, a fine art museum on the campus of Northwestern Michigan College. The show, entitled Twelve-by-Twelve, highlights work from Interlochen students and faculty that can fit within an imaginary twelve-inch cube. Schulz is excited for her work to be seen by the public.
“As an artist, it’s so important for me to have on my resume that I’ve had my work shown at a museum,” she says. “ It means so much to me to get my work off campus and have it out to the public. There are so many opportunities at my fingertips that I would never have had if I'd gone to any other school.”
It’s been an eventful spring semester for Schulz, whose work is also featured on the Imagine US: America at 250 tour. The tour includes multidisciplinary performances in Interlochen, Detroit, Philadelphia, and Boston. It celebrates Interlochen’s centennial, the nation’s semiquincentennial, and the power of the youth creative voice. That includes Schulz’s own perspectives, expressed through multiple mediums.
“Two other students and I made a huge installation for the lobby based on my design,” she says. “It’s seven feet tall, sculptural, with fiber work.”
The piece is one of over 20 works traveling on the tour, with more than 30 works featured on the tour’s website. Schulz also contributed the short film “Bunny and Bun Bun”; the ceramic piece “Unravel,” which can be seen in the tour program; and help with costuming.
“ The tour has given me so much hands-on experience. I've never done anything this big,” Schulz reflects. “Now my name is out there, and I'm getting mentioned in articles and being interviewed. It’s an amazing opportunity.”
Beyond the Dennos exhibit and the tour, Schulz is also placing her work in several contests. One of her ceramic pieces was recently accepted for consideration by NCECA (The National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts) and will be exhibited at the organization’s annual conference in Detroit this March. Her piece was one of over 1,500 entries with 150 making the cut for the contest—3 of these were created by Interlochen students.
In addition, Schulz earned an honorable mention in the Scholastic Art and Writing awards, a national art competition for middle school and high school students. It’s a contest that Interlochen students have historically been quite successful in, earning nearly a hundred awards since the school began submitting. Each year, several students make it to the national level, where they compete for scholarship money.
“Having my work accepted helps me know that I’m doing things right and that my work is interesting to other people,” says Shulz. “It’s really helpful to me to see feedback, and see what’s getting shown and what's not. I’m so grateful to be here and be able to talk with my teachers at any moment and ask them ‘What can I do to help my portfolio? How can I get this piece shown to people?’”
Inspired by her experiences prepping for the Imagine US: America at 250 tour, Schulz is planning to pursue costume design in college, possibly adding a second major in a STEM field.
“I’m very interested in expanding that knowledge and taking classes between majors, which I’ve been able to do at Interlochen,” she says.
Muniba Ritman Oke: “Always encouraging us to do more and push our limits”
Muniba Ritman Oke is a fourth-year senior from Washington. At Interlochen Arts Academy, she’s chosen to focus on ceramics, sculpture, and photography. This year, she’s submitting her work to be shown in a local for-profit gallery, while celebrating an exciting first-place win with another competition.
From March 20 through April 10, Higher Art Gallery in downtown Traverse City will showcase Arts Academy student works in an exhibit entitled “Drawn Here II.” It’s the second year that Arts Academy students have shown their work at the gallery; last year’s show resulted in several sales of student work. The show is juried by Shanny Brooke (IAC 95-96, IAA 95-97), a figurative painter and Interlochen alumna.
“ I'm a fourth-year senior, so I know that if I hadn't gone to Interlochen, I definitely wouldn't be presented with all of the amazing opportunities that we get,” says Oke. “This is a very special place. By the time we go to college, students like me have already experienced so much professionally. It speaks volumes about what Interlochen wants to do for its students and what our division director is doing for us.”
Oke recently won an award in the Oliver Art Center's 2026 Student Exhibition, which is based in Frankfort, MI and open to students in grades K-12 from regional schools. Her piece "Adenike" earned first place in sculpture.
“It felt so good,” Oke says. “I felt really proud of myself. It's always nice to know that other people see what I see in my own work, and that they enjoy looking at my work and interacting with it.”
She credits Director of Visual Arts Patty Smith with helping her feel confident in exhibiting her work.
“ Patty has taught us so much about how to take good documentation and create good titles and explanations,” she says. “She’s always encouraging us to do more and push our limits.”
Oke draws inspiration from time spent learning from guest artists like Elaine Heumann Gurian and James Volkert, two museum consultants who have helped Interlochen students prioritize accessibility in their art. She isn’t sure yet what the future holds for her, but she’s excited to continue studying studio art while earning a degree in entrepreneurship—and continuing to exhibit her work.
“I want my work to be displayed in a public setting so that people can interact with it,” she says. “No matter where it is, I want it to be accessible.”
These are the kinds of things that colleges, universities, and private art schools are looking for ... It shows the level [a student] can compete at as an artist.
Patty Smith: “The mindset of a professional artist”
Schulz and Oke are not alone in their experiences. The countless opportunities visual arts students enjoy are a carefully-planned aspect of the visual arts curriculum at Interlochen. Each Wednesday, Division Director Patty Smith gathers her students to share an overview of upcoming exhibitions and calls for art. An internationally lauded metalsmith herself, Smith knows the value of gaining experiences like these at a young age.
“These are the kinds of things that colleges, universities, and private art schools are looking for,” Smith says. “Even when I’m hiring my summer staff, when I see a YoungArts win on a resume, that means something to me. It shows the level they can compete at as an artist.”
This year, Smith is proud to say that two of her seniors and a recent graduate have won awards in the YoungArts competition. A past student of hers was a winner with distinction, earning them a trip to Miami and public exhibition there.
“Having these off-campus opportunities puts the student in the mindset of a professional artist who is actively showing their work and building their practice,” says Smith. “It also benefits their CV or resume by helping them build an exhibition list. It helps them gain confidence and know that people outside of the Interlochen community will have the ability to experience their work.”
The past years have been very successful for Interlochen’s visual arts students. Smith says there will be even more opportunities in the future.
”We're always looking for more ways to expand the visibility of our students' work,” she says.
Learn more about visual arts at Interlochen Arts Academy.
