Students in the MCC Art Department represent an incredibly broad range of backgrounds and individual educational goals, but they all share one common attribute: the passion for art and design.

Participation in the Student Art Show juried exhibition at MCC Gallery is an important tradition culminating the academic year.  Students gain experience in photographing their work, responding to a call for entry, and showing their work in a professional gallery while having the opportunity to win scholarship awards to further support their academic study and career pursuits in the visual arts.  

Meet our 2026 jurors!

Cynthia Peterson is a contemporary realist whose roots are in a classical tradition. She has exhibited in many solo and national exhibitions including the Rocky Mountain National and Colored Pencil Society International exhibitions. Ms. Peterson has received awards from the National Watercolor Society, Watercolor USA and more.  Her artwork has been published in Watercolor Magic, The Best of Watercolor, The Best of Colored Pencil and Artist’s Magazine. She was profiled with her watercolor paintings in the Biltmore Magazine, was part of the Mind of the Artist lecture series for West Valley Art Museum and featured in Artists to Watch in Southwest Art magazine. She holds a BFA degree from Northern Arizona University, and a MFA from Arizona State University.