Local Professor Judges Congressional Art Competition
By Garrett Christensen on Tuesday, May 16th, 2023 in Featured Stories Northeastern Oregon News
LA GRANDE – (Information from the U.S. Congress) Cali Lees, a Sophomore from Phoenix High School has been named the winner for Oregon’s 2023 Second District Congressional Art Competition. While Lees rightfully takes the glory for her work, “Cumulus Clouds” (featured above), another more local name also cropped up in the announcement. One of the judges of the competition was none other than Associate Professor of Art for Eastern Oregon University, Michael Sell.
For those unfamiliar with Sell, his official EOU Bio Page reads: “Michael Sell holds a BFA in studio art from Adrian College and an MFA in photography from Kendall College of Art and Design. He is a member of the Society for Photographic Education and the Popular Culture Association and has presented research at conferences in Chicago, Portland, and Washington, D.C. His research areas include memetics, media-centric imagery, and the digital/analog aesthetic, and his photography has been exhibited throughout the Pacific Northwest, Los Angeles, New York, and Tallinn, Estonia.”
This self-proclaimed “artist and bureaucrat” can now add congressionally qualified art judge to the list.
