Graduate students showcased their art and research in a wide variety of subjects at the 24th Annual Graduate Exhibition Sunday in the HUB-Robeson Center.

Judges from various departments throughout the university scored works in three categories -- research posters, performing arts and visual arts.

There were 230 research posters on display in Alumni Hall from departments all across the university, said Eva Pell, senior vice president for research and dean of the graduate school.

"They must present their research in layman's terms to the audience," she said. "It is not meant to be technical."

Pell said the students were also required to give a short oral presentation explaining their research, adding the judging was based on content, quality of presentation and clear conveyance of their work.

The visual artists featured in the exhibition also undergo very serious research, Charles Garoian, director of the School of Visual Arts, said.

"It's just that the results of our research are works of art," he added.

The art featured in the exhibition involves an active studio process, said William Doan, associate dean of research of the College of Arts and Architecture.

"All the work in there has undergone critique by mentors and advisers before the show," he said. "For every category we have judging sheets that we prepare with feedback from each department."

The departmental input in the judging sheets helps orient the judges, who may not have experience in some of the categories, Doan said. It helps prepare them to talk to each student about their work as well, he added.

"Some of the judges have no experience with art, so it is important for the students to be able to communicate and interact with them, as well as with the audience," Garoian said.

Ann Tarantino, an art instructor, organizes the students who wish to exhibit their work in the show, Garoian said. The students then must work with faculty and mentors to develop the quality of their work and with the gallery crew to install the works, he added.

Works in the visual arts exhibition covered a wide range of media, including painting, sculpture, photography, video and pottery.

The first-place piece in the visual arts category was a photography piece titled "Chain Gang" by Jeffrey Van Fossan. The piece is composed of a grid of photos of students chained together. Each photo was taken by the student featured in the one before it.

The work that took third in visual arts was possibly the most controversial, Garoian said.

"It is a very carnavalesque spoof on waterboarding," he said.

The piece, titled "Thee Spectacular Waterboarding Adventure," was a video depicting a carnival troupe joking about the simulated drowning torture technique, explaining it and demonstrating it on a volunteer.

The whole exhibition gives graduate students a chance to present their research and creative work to the rest of the university, Pell said.

The visual art portion of the exhibition will be on display through April 27 in the HUB-Robeson Gallery, next to the auditorium.