The Alexandria Museum of Art recently held its 23^rd Annual National Competition Exhibition. The exhibition, which included works by artists from across the United States, was judged by Kelli Scott Kelley, an Associate Professor of Painting and Drawing at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. Joshua Chambers of Ruston, Louisiana won first place and $800 for his painting It’s Nice to See You Flying Again. Though the exhibition is judged by a different artist every year, this is Chambers’s second year to place in the exhibition, a feat which earned him an invitation to judge a future exhibition at the museum. Another Ruston artist, Jes Schrom, won second place for her video installation Making Room. Schrom is a Professor of Photography at Louisiana Tech University.

A third Ruston artist, Hooshang Khorasani, gained acceptance to the exhibition for his piece Luminescence #3, making Ruston the most represented city in the exhibition.

According to the museum, “The much-anticipated September Competition is a strong exhibit that will intrigue and inspire the most discriminating art lover, with works by talented artists from around the country.”

The exhibition will be on display through October 8 at the Alexandria Museum of Art, 933 Main Street, Alexandria, LA 71309. Hours of operation are Tuesday-Friday from 10am-5pm and Saturday 10am-4pm. For more information, please call 318-443-3458 or visit www.themusuem.org.