Three students’ artwork honored in annual Art in the Union contest
Of the 48 unique submissions, three were named winners of this year’s Art in the Union contest, awarding the student artists a $600 prize and adding their artwork to the historic student union.
Los Angeles, Calif., May 20, 2026 – Three UCLA students were honored in the 2026 Art in the Union contest, adding to a collection of over 65 pieces that adorn the walls of the Associated Students UCLA (ASUCLA) Student Union facilities. In addition to having the opportunity for their pieces to be displayed on campus, the winners also each took home a $600 cash prize.
First-year biology student Shreya Patel, second-year fine arts student Angelina Porsio and second-year chemical engineering student Catherin Xie were celebrated at a formal reception on May 15.
“ASUCLA congratulates the winners on the thoughtfulness, talent and creativity they exhibited in their pieces,” said Pamela Lewis, ASUCLA Student Union services director. “We would also like to thank all of the participants for the time and effort they put into their submissions.”
The contest has been held annually since 1972, open to all undergraduate and graduate UCLA students. Each year, original paintings, drawings, textiles, photography and graphic illustrations are submitted for judging.
“I was inspired to make this piece because I wanted to highlight the beauty of natural life,” stated Patel of her piece, Untainted. “As technology begins to advance for the better and the worse, I wanted to paint something that shows purity in our natural state of being. This image is of my grandmother who has spent her life working to support her children and taking care of me.”
Porsio’s piece, La Callada, is part of a series of five works exploring anxiety. “This piece seeks to offer a commentary on avoidance, how individuals and societies often recognize both problems and solutions, yet remain constrained by fear, anxiety or choice,” she stated.
Xie’s piece, Gates of the Forbidden City, “is a critique of totalitarianism, inspired by my father’s first-hand experience in the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests as a college student,” she stated. Xie said that she chose familial figures as centerpieces of the piece; the figures in the painting are representative of her mother and brother.
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About ASUCLA:
Founded in 1919, Associated Students UCLA (ASUCLA) is a nonprofit association that drives vitally essential student services and activities throughout the UCLA campus. ASUCLA boasts the largest college store in the U.S., an extensive food program, UCLA® brand licensing programming through UCLA Trademarks & Licensing, and other services and programs that include student government and student media, which significantly enhances the quality of UCLA’s campus life. For more information and to stay connected, follow @asucla on Instagram or visit asucla.ucla.edu.