“It’s sort of like you come of age as an artist,” said Tom Butter, a visiting lecturer from the Parsons School of Design in New York City. “It’s a huge moment for any artist to have his work on display.”

Noah C. Waxman ’04, a VES concentrator with two metal sculptures in the show, praised the exhibition as a rare opportunity to present art—especially large sculptures and paintings—in a professional setting.

“It’s nice to get it out of the clutter of the studio and get it into the right lighting, so that people can concentrate on it as a whole,” Waxman said.

“The light and the aura, it helps make it look official and professional,” Butter said.

Stopforth said the VES panel chose fewer pieces in order to maximize the impact of each work.

“The power and presence of the work, I think, is a test to the value of jurying, of being more selective,” said Stopforth.

Some students said that this move limited students’ opportunities to show their work.

Anna F. Ludwig ’04, whose painting entitled “Botox” was selected for display, described a trade-off between an inclusive and a rigorous selection process.

“On one hand, it’s really nice to show a wider selection of work, but it’s also more of an honor to be picked if there is less stuff,” Ludwig said.

She suggested instead that the department should have more shows.

—Staff writer Alexandra N. Atiya can be reached at atiya@fas.harvard.edu.