Zoraye Cyrus, a studio art BFA student specializing in drawing and illustration, has received quite a few awards and recognitions this year.
She is one of three students to receive UCF’s J.R. Hopes Art Scholarship and was selected for her drawing piece, shown below. “My art discusses different matters of racial identity, misconceptions, and reflections of past stories in a “post-racial America.” As a black woman, I focus on my own personal experiences along with cultural aspects within the black community.”
Cyrus also won first place in the 8th Annual Women in the Arts competition, hosted at the Orlando Public Library. Four finalists and eight honor award recipients were selected from a pool of 96 entries by local women artists. The placement of the finalists was announced at the Women in the Arts Awards reception and “Meet the Artist” gallery walk on March 23.
Most recently, Cyrus was selected to exhibit in the Atlantic Center for the Arts’ 30th Annual University Student Exhibition and was nominated by associate professors Ilenia Colón Mendoza and Wanda Raimundi-Ortiz. Cyrus is the second undergraduate student from the University of Central Florida to be selected for the ACA exhibit in over 20 years. Last year, Colt Bass was selected to exhibit. The opening reception took place Friday, May 18 and the exhibition runs through August 10.
Photos from the ACA 30th Annual University Student Exhibition opening reception.
