Photography, painting, stoneware and printmaking: Hood College students know how to create gallery quality art.
The opening reception for this year’s annual student juried exhibition on Feb. 25 saw students, professors, and members of the Hood community come to the Hodson Gallery to view the submitted works. Both undergraduate and graduate students participated in the show.
Some of the digital photographs were signed, but the rest of the pieces remained blank. With this, viewers were “looking at art rather than seeing who made it,” said senior Bonnie Monnier, who showed two photos. There was a list of all pieces in the gallery with the works’ titles and artists for people to refer to as they walked around, instead of directly on the art.
The studio art department awarded prizes for first – third places and Best of Show for undergraduate submissions and top prizes for graduate students. Before the awarding, President Chapdelaine spoke of how the students’ work “shines” in the new gallery space.
Senior Justin Fox won Best of Show for his still life digital photograph Pomegranate Seeds and Cup he created in the photo studio.
Lew Dean, senior, won first place with The Stag, his wood painting. Junior Leigh Anne Brader’s Body Image-Inspired by Mattisse paper cutouts won second place and senior Cameron Tate’s Omari print won third.
Winning Best of Show is “nice recognition for all my hard work,” said Fox. He spoke to the gallery attendees of the process behind his photograph. He said he was drawn to the pomegranates because he liked the translucency of the seeds; he spent around half an hour arranging them on the mat.
Fox has loved the photo since he took it last year, and the gallery was a good excuse to finally print and mat the image, he said. There is a lot of time, effort and expense that goes into displaying digital photographs, more than many people realize. Fox added winning an award showed him that others appreciate his work as well.
A large portion of the show is of digital photographs. Digital Photography I and Photojournalism students from photography professor Tim Jacobsen classes submitted work together. Fox said he took his photo when he was in Jacobsen’s class too. Minus those submissions, the gallery would be considerable smaller.
Junior Jennifer Forester submitted two photographs with Jacobsen’s photojournalism class. She is “definitely proud” to have her work up for everyone to see outside of the class. One of hers is across from the door, so she is happy that people see hers when they come inside, she said.
Forester said the event was not advertised enough. She would not have noticed to share her photos if Jacobsen did not tell her of the show. Students who do not have classes in Tatem this semester probably did not know of the chance at all, she said.
“Everyone knows about sport events, but they did not know about this,” said Forester. She wants more awareness on campus for art events.
The gallery is open until March 4.
Tate’s senior exhibition, Sneakers, starts April 21 in the Whitaker Gallery. Fox’s, Overlooked, is April 28 in the Hodson Gallery.
Be the first to comment