The competitive 2015 FL3TCH3R Exhibit is more than just a means for artists from around the world to showcase their work, it’s a way to remember and honor former ETSU art student, Fletcher H. Dyer.

Fletcher passed away in his senior year after a motorcycle accident in 2009.

His main interest was in social and politically engaged art.

Three years ago his parents, Barbara and Wayne Dyer, with the help of his sister, Carrie, organized the first FL3TCH3R Exhibit.

Wayne is a professor of graphic design in the Department of Art and Design at ETSU and Carrie is an alumna of the university.

Artists who wish to enter the competitive exhibit pay a fee of $40 to enter up to three pieces and $7 a piece for any additional works.

Proceeds from the entry fees for the exhibit go to a scholarship in Fletcher’s name.

The Fletcher H. Dyer Memorial Scholarship will be available to ETSU Art and Design students once the scholarship reaches qualification for endowment.

Fletcher’s parents are in awe of how quickly this exhibit has grown and how it has attracted artists from all over the world.

This year, the exhibit features 65 works by 57 artists from the United States, United Kingdom, Andorra, South Korea, Latvia and Jordan.

Each year the Dyers seek out an experienced juror to determine which pieces will enter the exhibit and the winners. This year the juror is Joyce Ogden.

Ogden is an award winning artist whose work focuses on sustainability. Although she is currently a professor of art at Spalding University and the Kentucky College of Art in Louisville, she will be a guest artist with ETSU’s Mary B. Martin School of Arts in the 2016 spring semester.

Guest artist Shara Lange is speaking before the ceremony at 5 p.m.

Although the pieces in the exhibit have the same focus, they are all unique.

Medias range from pop art, oil paintings, sculptures, textiles, ceramics, watercolor paintings, photography, digital, and more.

The subject matter of each piece varies.

A few examples are: feminism, domestic violence, racism, World War II, addiction, science, same-sex marriage, and mental illness.

The exhibit is on display at the Reece Museum until Dec. 7. There is no cost to view the exhibit and it is open during regular Reece Museum business hours.

Upon entry, visitors are given a special booklet that gives specific details and background on each piece.