Rebekah Lucero
The Paw Print
The most recent shows in the Art Building are something to remember with the styles you see, whether you are in the Clyde Snook Gallery or in the Hatfield Gallery. Head Director of the galleries is Gene Shilling, who said that the mission of the galleries is, “to show regional, national, and international art to enhance students’ art education.” These showings are not only for the students; they are open to the community.
The Clyde Snook Gallery is currently showing a Robert McCann exhibition. McCann is an oil painter from East Lancing, Michigan State University, where he is a Professor of Art. His paintings are huge, covering up an entire regular wall space. The work itself is surreal and somewhat dreamlike. The colors he uses are all over the color palette, and the range of brushstrokes is very broad.
The pieces are painted with a collage attitude that is collected from his photographs and found magazine clippings. All the pieces are relatively busy in terms of content and color. Every canvas has an area that seems as though that was his color palette, very non –objective. The figures are realistic, yet have a plastic feel to them. The buildings seem quite flat, which combined with the rest of the painting gives the surreal dreamlike state. His show went up September 30, and is going down this Friday.
The Hatfield Galley contains work put together by grad assistant, Nora McBride. She presents the SLVLC Group Show, Rumpus Room Spectacular. This was an explosion of art that covered all wall space, a lot of floor space, and was very jam packed with many extras to make the space an interesting place to be. The floor had hula-hoops, yarn balls, toys, furniture, lamps, and small figurines. It is a maze to help lead the viewer all over the gallery. The work presented was done by a number of artists, with a lot of different styles but within the abstract, non-objective genre. There were some realistic works, but were not plentiful. The works ranged from sculpture to painting and drawing, and print work and ceramics. As part of the main showing, this show also goes down this Friday, so all interested need to stop by.
Shilling gave some good insight on what goes into planning and putting up an art show. He starts by sending out a call for entries for artists interested in putting on a show. He then gets responses from all over the globe. The art faculty takes a vote based on what they like, and the show is arranged. For each show, Shilling thinks about what he wants to present to an audience. The next step is arranging it for presentation. The works come in, and the assistants come in to put the show up, and there it is. There is either an opening reception or a closing reception. If the presented artist comes for the reception, he or she gives a lecture on the artwork, and how he or she works. This is a good source of information for prospective art students planning on making art a part of who they become.
These two shows end on Friday, Nov. 5. If you’d like to see them, get in as soon as possible. Upcoming shows are mostly student exhibitions, so you can come support your ASC peers includig graduates who will be showing their final pieces. From Nov. 7 -22 is Nora McBride, John Dodds, David Stallings, and Rachel Padilla. The closing reception is Tuesday, Nov. 22 from 4 to 6 p.m. Our last gallery showing will be another graduate level work, exhibiting Anthony Guntren and Madison McCaulley in the Clyde Snook. The Hatfield will be hosting a Student Ceramics exhibition at the same time. The opening reception will be Dec. 2, from 4 to 6 p.m. The exhibitions are open to the public, are free, and worth the time spent in the galleries. One can encounter new friends and have an opportunity to meet with the art students themselves to see what those in the art department can do.
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