With Veishea weekend rapidly approaching, several ISU art students are ready to display their work.

“Focus has traditionally been a celebration of the arts at Iowa State that is always held around Veishea week,” says Letitia Kenemer, program assistant for the Memorial Union.

The Focus Grant Exhibition, which is funded through the Government of the Student Body, includes projects created by students, all of which were funded through a granting process.

Kenemer says each student receives about $400.

“The projects all have a due date,” Kenemer says. “We have applications due twice a year, so they have either a year or half a year to complete their Focus Grant.”

The Focus Juried Exhibition is sponsored by the Student Union Board and includes 134 entries from 64 different artists, while the Focus Student-Juried Exhibit features 40 pieces from 39 different artists.

The projects for both shows include painting, drawing, printmaking, fiber, metals, photography and mixed media. The Focus Grant Exhibit also includes dance and creative writing.

Kim Rogers, graduate student in English, was chosen for a Focus Grant last semester for her poetry book, “After the Flood.” Her book is a mixture of poems and visual art.

“It was interesting for me, because for a lot of the poems, I did the image first, then the poem,” Rogers says. “I guess that was my experiment.”

Rogers says the show is a very good experience, but she warns that people should be realistic about what they can achieve in one semester.

“The hardest part is balance,” she says. “You have other work going on in the semester.”

Andy Schmidt, senior in art and design, has a photograph in the juried show titled “Five O’ Clock Shadow.”

Schmidt heard about the show through fliers around campus and previous experience in showing work at the Memorial Union. He says he is always looking for a show to enter because he can use the experience after college.

“I try to submit work in every show around here,” Schmidt says. “The more shows you get into as an undergraduate, the better it looks on your r‚sum‚.”

Anna Kluesner, senior in biological and pre-medical Illustration, has a piece titled “Hawaiian Flowers” in the juried show.

“This is the first show I have ever entered anything into, so it was a great experience for me,” Kluesner says. “This is a great r‚sum‚ builder for students.”

This show is also an opportunity for students to sell their pieces, since no commission is taken from the sales by the Memorial Union.

“It is a chance to be in a group exhibit and to have your artwork on display, which is always great for artists,” Kenemer says. “It is prestigious if you can get into a show like this.”