At 4 p.m. on April 23 the Spring all-level student art exhibit will open not only to the public, but most importantly to world renowned artist Chris Untalan, the outside juror of this year’s annual student art exhibit.
“He is a very accomplished artist and we appreciate the work that he does in traditional and classical sculpture and drawings,” Barbara Bushey, assistant professor of art, said. “His work reveals the high ideals and the high standards that we like to adhere to. We think that he has a pretty good eye and a pretty good hand and we would like to hear what he has to say about our students.”
Untalan, during the fall 2012 semester, showcased to Hillsdale College his classically inspired nudes and portraits, using such art to communicate his ideas and emotions.
“He’s got a sort of weird edge to his art, but yeah he will recognize really skillful stuff, but he will also enjoy sort of interesting subject matter too,” junior Joseph Craig said. “His stuff was weird and he will bring an interesting approach to judging which will be fun.”
All mediums of art will be submitted to the annual exhibit from photography to self portraits and sculptures to graphic designs, everything the art department and its students have been working on for the 2012-2013 academic year will be displayed in this week long event.
Junior Sarah Chasen said she isn’t too picky about how the event goes down.
“I just want my professors to be proud of me and I want to participate and do my best,” she said. “So I don’t look at it like a competition, I look at it as something I want to be proud of and participate in. I mean it isn’t all about winning, but they are still judging you so you still want to do a good job even if you don’t win.”
Junior Shannon Baldwin admitted that an exhibit during finals week was exhausting, but said there were perks as well.
“It definitely comes at a busy time, but when you think about it its always busy and I look forward to it because its fun to see other’s work,” she said. “It’s fun more to see other people’s stuff because you have already seen your own.”
Senior Kyra Moss is looking forward to the exhibit to showcase her interest in candid photography through a staged environmental portrait of sophomore Megan Landon.
“Because I really like taking pictures of people but I like them to be candid,” she said, gesturing to the photograph of Landon. “This picture was staged but it looks like its not. And it’s like looking in on something that you shouldn’t be seeing and I like that you don’t necessarily think that its pretty but it makes you think ‘oh what is happening.’”
All art students will be submitting work for the exhibit and will be unbiasedly judged by Untalan as he will reveal the winners in the various categories as well as give monetary prizes during the art ceremony on April 23.
“This is just to celebrate what we are doing here in classes you know.” Dr. Bushey said. “So we can reveal the variety of what we do in the art department as well as the excellence that we are able to attain. Its an opportunity to show off.”
lreyes@hillsdale.edu