In Zoller Gallery this week, a potent scent can be recognized. The familiar spice lures visitors toward an arrangement of chili peppers.

The piece, titled "21," addresses the concept of anonymity and of being one in a multitude. Artist Kristy Krivitsky chose chili peppers and curry because she said she wanted something "other than the visual sense." She wanted to use something that people could recognize but yet not quite place so that the interpretation would be left up to the viewer.

"21" is one of many eclectic works on display in this year's Juried Undergraduate Exhibition, which opened Thursday and runs through March 29, at the gallery, located in the Visual Arts Building. Out of roughly 415 works, Commonwealth campus students created 12 and University Park students contributed 75 of the 87 works which made it to the final stage.

The 415 entries were narrowed down to three equal winners: Kristy Krivitsky (senior-bachelor of fine arts, sculpture), Lars Westby (bachelor of fine arts-ceramics) and Julie Tomaso (bachelor of fine arts candidate).

Westby said he considers his piece -- an untitled work made of clay and raku -- an industrial and organic everyday object with a different perception that he made because he wants people to question it.

Tomaso submitted "Interior Space with Chair," which she said deals with the "push-pull between 2-D and 3-D." She said that when viewing the painting, people should see the relationship between non-object and object. To demonstrate this, an actual chair is placed in front of the painting of the chair.

Gallery Director Cindi Morrison said that anyone who had taken an art class during the 1990-1991 academic year was eligible to enter the contest. She said that works were judged on presentation and technique and the judges especially looked for pieces that were visually strong and had something to say to the viewer. Morrison said that the exhibit familarizes participants with juried exhibitions in the real world.

The pieces were judged by James Gilroy and Gary Pelkey, co-owners and directors of the Owen Patrick Gallery in Philadelphia. Gilroy and Pelkey have been jurors for 15 years. The criteria for the three prize winners included the purpose of making the piece, how closely the artist came to achieving the purpose and if the artist used a unique approach, Gilroy said.

Also important were the artists' uses of composition, light, color, space and form. Gilroy said judging was a difficult process because he and Pelkey were not allowed to talk with the artists, although they were permitted to compare the works with others by the same artist. The artists were allowed three entries each in the exhibit.

Prizes were awarded at a reception Thursday afternoon at the gallery.

The winners received prizes ranging from a $75 cash award, a $10 gift certificate from the HUB Bookstore and a $65 cash award, and a $50 cash award and $25 gift certificate from Uncle Eli's, 129 E. Beaver Ave.

Morrison said the exhibit will run only one week because of the Easter holiday. Last year, the exhibit ran for 12 days.

The Juried Undergraduate Exhibition has run every year since the opening of the gallery in 1971. Among other exhibits hosted by the gallery are the Crafts National, which takes place each summer, and in 1992, a photography exhibition.