Perhaps the most difficult thing for all artists is to convey their thoughts through their work — to transform their ideas from the beginning stages into something tangible.

This is the problem that John Meyer’s “Brainscape/Planet M” challenges.

“[The piece] deals with the intangible qualities of thinking — the abstract and emotions,” Meyers, a senior in fine arts and visual studies, said. “We talk about them, but how do you visualize them? [It] makes you think in an abstract way. It shows — in a blink of an eye — what you could have imagined in the brain.”

A sculpture and painter, Meyers incorporates both of his skills into his two- and three- dimensional piece.

“[The idea for the piece] started germinating in my mind several years ago when I was half dreaming and had the idea.” Meyers said. “It involved the process of thinking as how you sort through design problems or what a piece will look like.

“You go through a spectrum of thoughts and deconstruction,” he continued. “However, the way people see it is probably different than what I had originally imagined.”

Meyers is one of 19 Iowa State artists who is competing in the Iowa College Salon XX, a statewide juried competition that showcases work by student artists who are in four year art programs in Iowa colleges.

This year, 216 student artists submitted 964 entries to be judged by John Day, director of the University Art Galleries, University of South Dakota.

The process of submitting work is fairly simple, Stacy Brothers, University Museums administrative assistant, said.

Students send in slides of their work to be judged by a juror. The juror selects the participants, their work is brought in and put on display and, at the opening reception, the juror is able to select the Best in Show, a $1000 prize, and two honorable mentions, a $250 prize.

“It’s an opportunity to compete with other artists and to show your work,” Meyers said. “I have competed in the past and it’s fun and always interesting to talk to other artists, meet other people and explore other opportunities.”

This year, some of the entries include “Four to Seven Days,” a chair covered with feminine hygiene products, “Box of Brainwash,” acrylic paint on nine television sets that are stacked together to form a single image and “His Pawns,” a giant chess board with untraditional pieces.

“It’s terribly interesting,” Brothers said. “Art by young people is very contemporary and now.”

In conjunction with the Iowa College Salon XX, the University Museums is also hosting the Iowa College Salon 20th Anniversary. Operating separately from this year’s Salon, the anniversary Salon will feature recent work from past Salon winners.

“All people who had won any kind of award were invited back,” Brothers said. “Many were hard to find and we relied heavily on the Internet. Out of 90 winners we tried to contact, 28 responded and we feel that is pretty successful.”

The Iowa College Salon XX and the Iowa College Salon 20th Anniversary will be open to the public at the Brunnier Art Museum, located in the Schemen Building, until March 5.