UNL’s Department of Art and Art History hosts the second annual Nebraska National Exhibition, opening Sept. 6 in the Eisentrager•Howard Gallery in Richards Hall. The exhibit, open through Sept. 27, features paintings, drawings and sculptures.

A First Friday opening reception is 6 to 8 p.m. Sept. 6 in the gallery. Regular gallery hours are 12:30 to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

“The first year exceeded our highest expectations,” said Pete Pinnell, chair of art and art history. “We had excellent applicants and were able to put together a really beautiful show that got everybody excited.”

Dan and Barbara Howard have again made a contribution to provide awards for the show, including $1,000 for the best in each area and a $1,500 Best of Show award.

The Nebraska National Exhibition features three different disciplines on a two-year, rotating basis. Categories for the 2012 exhibition were ceramics, printmaking and photography.

Last year, Micah Snyder, who graduated in December with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in studio art, won the award in printmaking.

“I’m not surprised, in a way, that someone in our own department won,” Pinnell said. “The judging was done by outside judges, and we know we have a good department.”

The 2013 jurors are JoAnne Carson in painting and drawing and Todd Slaughter in sculpture.

Carson is professor of studio art at the University at Albany. Her work has been shown in numerous solo and group exhibitions. She received the Rome Prize from the American Academy in Rome and individual artist grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and The Awards in the Visual Arts.

Slaughter is professor of sculpture at Ohio State University and has held many solo and group exhibitions internationally and nationally.

Pinnell said the exhibition promotes what we have to offer to students around the country, and it allows UNL faculty and students to see the best work in the country.

“We want our students to see the best student work and to aim for that level of achievement,” Pinnell said. “I think our students felt pretty good [after seeing the work]. I think they thought it was a good show, and they enjoyed seeing it. And we also just wanted to celebrate quality.”

For more information, call 402-472-5522.