Lexington senior Megan Hensley has been formally studying art for four years, but she said she’s been doing “crafty” things her entire life.

Hensley has four pieces of her artwork on display at this month’s Student Juried Exhibition in the fine arts center gallery.

The art department’s yearly exhibition brought on another wave of successful pieces, said Kristina Arnold, assistant art professor and the gallery director.

The exhibition runs until Nov. 19.

Each year, students submit work to be judged by a new pair of jurors, Arnold said. Of this year’s about 250 submissions, 45 studio art and 30 graphic design pieces are on display.

The chosen jurors are generally teachers at neighboring institutions, she said.

Arnold said the selection process is unique because different jurors will always select different pieces.

Hensley said she considered her involvement in the show a major accomplishment because the works are selected so anonymously.

She said shows like these give her a sense of validation and help her realize her work is “worth having people look at.”

Hensley hopes to continue her art career after college and said she felt honored to have had her work chosen by a professional.

Glasgow senior Wes Buchanan has five pieces on display in the show.

Buchanan has been creating art since high school and hopes to continue graphic design upon graduation.

Buchanan’s entries included a woven tapestry, a poster for his band and a logo for beer he brewed himself.

Arnold said the hardest part of being an artist is the preparation to show one’s work, because art is generally such a personal process.

“One of the things we try to do is prepare our students in all aspects of being an artist,” she said.

Displaying one’s work can be terrifying, especially when an artist knows it will be judged, Arnold said.

Arnold commended every artist who made a submission and said the show not only celebrates those whose work is chosen, but everyone who opens their pieces up to constructive criticism, as that is what helps artists move forward.

Hensley said the process of thinking out loud through art helps her deal with things that could otherwise be limited through language.

“I can’t verbalize it,” she said. “The process is what’s important to me.”

Arnold credits some of the professionalism of this year’s show with the Gallery Studies class she is teaching, because the class helped stage the art pieces.