CSB Art Competition Winner: Congrats Sophia Wysocki!
Congratulations to Sophia Wysocki, Art and Entrepreneurship student, who received first place in the second annual Cofrin School of Business Art Competition!
Students from across UWGB were challenged to create a piece of artwork that represents the historical or current business environment of Northeast Wisconsin, as well as the Cofrin School of Business four core values: Community Engagement, Sustainability, Innovation, and Leadership.
Sophia’s piece, Brainstorm, is now a part of the Cofrin School of Business’ permanent collection, and will be displayed on the first floor of Wood Hall for the 2024-25 academic year before moving upstairs to the Cofrin School of Business office suite. Come by and admire the unique mixed media design!
The artist’s statement describes the artwork: “As a double major in Business Administration with an emphasis in Entrepreneurship and a Studio Art Major, I am collaborating with the future business leaders of Green Bay. Students here are encouraged to bring their ideas to fruition through projects like Innovation On-Ramp and engage with community businesses through events like the annual Job, Internship, and Opportunities Fair. My most recent work, Brainstorm was made possible through community engagement and sustainability practices. All the materials in the piece are made of recycled materials, and most are scrap pieces from the Brown County STEM Center. The STEM Center invited multiple art classes to come in and make art from leftover pieces of materials from engineering projects. I found cut-out sports motifs, nature motifs, and signs within the materials. I also found a piece with Forest County written on it, and I included it as something to wear proudly on your chest, as I am originally from Forest County, WI. I also included earplugs as a nod to our lumber and paper industry, a pipette as a tribute to our healthcare industry, and an admissions ticket for our local entertainment industry. Brainstorm is a reminder of how intricately we are all connected.”
Stevie Spradlin, an Art Major, received Honorable Mention in this year’s art competition. Stevie described the piece, An Early Start, as follows: “Agriculture is not only Wisconsin’s biggest success, but also humanity’s. Without people and communities working together to create a sustainable food source, humans wouldn’t be nearly as evolved as they are now. This 30″ × 40″ acrylic painting seeks to display that humble start. A picturesque landscape of a natural valley contains the scene of humble farmers working together to tend to their field. Spending their early morning working for the sake of their families and community, much like our dear farmers still do today for us. A simple piece of art could never do their sacrifice justice, but it honors them and the businesses they help all the same.”
Community Engagement is a core value of the Cofrin School of Business (CSB). The CSB Art Competition seeks to showcase the power of philanthropy to build community by inspiring creativity through support for UW-Green Bay artists. “Giving back time and treasures to the community that raised us, the community that we raise our families in, and, specifically, to the college that helped cultivate our success, is part of the gratitude we owe for our individual achievement” said Joel Hansen, UWGB alum,
CFO of Pomp’s Tire Service, Inc., and Cofrin School of Business Advisory Board member, who provides the funding for this annual competition.
Applications for next year’s competition will open in early Fall 2024! It is open to all UWGB students of any major and any campus.
