Finding Form and Feeling: Inside the 2026 Aims Student Art Show

This year’s theme, Shapes and Figures, challenged students to explore who inspires them and what shapes their identity as people and artists. The juried exhibition features painting, graphic art, drawing, photography, sculpture and more, highlighting the talent of Aims students while giving them the experience of presenting their work in a professional gallery environment.

Among this year’s standout artists is Best in Show winner Kayla Sigmon, recognized for her charcoal piece, “Loss”. She was awarded an Aims scholarship. 

For Kayla, the recognition came as a surprise. She said she entered the show for the first time after encouragement from a classmate and did not expect to walk away with the top honor. “I did not expect to win at all,” Kayla said. “I just wanted to put my pieces up there.”

Kayla’s path as an artist has come full circle. She first attended Aims, where she studied graphic design, before transferring to the University of Northern Colorado. She graduated from UNC in 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in graphic design and has since returned to Aims to study animation, with plans to graduate in spring 2027. While she has experience in graphic design and enjoys working across media, she is especially interested in the marketing and motion design sides of animation.

She said coming back to Aims has been meaningful, especially after spending her earlier college years during the COVID-19 pandemic. “It was a fun experience,” Kayla said. “Especially, like, the two years I was here during COVID, I didn’t get to experience anything like this, so it was fun to come back and be able to be in person.”

Kayla also said Aims played an important role in preparing her for the next step in her education. “Aims definitely set me up for UNC,” she said. “I had a big base to go off of from Aims, so that was very helpful.” She described the Aims art community as welcoming and supportive. “Aims is a lot more of a community,” Kayla said. “People want to help you.”

That sense of connection aligns with the role art has played throughout her life. Kayla said creativity has long been an outlet for processing emotion and expressing things she cannot always put into words.

“I’ve done art my whole life,” she said. “I think it’s a good release. I’ve never been very good at talking to people and so being able to get my feelings out on paper was the best release for me.”

Her winning piece was created when she was about 19, shortly after graduating from high school, during the uncertainty of the COVID era. Looking back, Kayla sees the piece as a reflection of a difficult transition in her life. “I had a lot of anger, and I just felt so lost in that world,” Kayla said. “It was hard to be who I was at that moment. I felt very torn between wanting to be who I was in high school and trying to switch to being a college student.”

That emotional honesty is central to her work. Kayla said that while design and art can overlap, her fine art is often much more personal. “My art really reflects my emotions,” she said. “I try to make sure the people who are looking at it almost feel the same way that I’m feeling.”

Kayla also encouraged other students to share their work and take part in opportunities like the Student Art Show. “Anyone should just put their art out there, and don’t be embarrassed by it,” she said. “Even if you don’t think your art is great, it can always touch someone.”

In addition to Best in Show, several students were recognized for their outstanding work in this year’s exhibition:

Come See the Art

The 2026 Aims Student Art Show remains on display at the Aims Loveland Campus through May 29, offering visitors the chance to experience the creativity, skill and personal expression of Aims student artists.  

The Loveland Student Art Show is then traveling to the Tointon Gallery in Greeley from June 5-26.