The current exhibition at the Memorial Union Gallery features an eclectic variety of student work, from abstract celebrations of self-love to harrowing depictions of anxiety.
The Spring 2016 Baccalaureate exhibition began on Tuesday with an evening reception and artist talks. It will conclude April 29. The exhibition includes the work of five student artists: Kiley Smith, Candy Skauge, Hillary Ehlen, Shelby Steidl and Megan Johnson.
The Baccalaureate exhibition is an academic requirement for visual arts and BFA students at North Dakota State. Each student artist creates a body of work based on a predetermined concept.
“The Baccalaureate project is four years in the making,” said Anthony Faris, gallery coordinator and curator of collections at the Memorial Union Gallery. “This is the pinnacle of their tenure here at NDSU.”
Students begin work on their projects during their final year at NDSU. As they prepare for their exhibitions, students collaborate with faculty advisers and Gallery staff.
“Every week, these students have a critique with the faculty and the gallery coordinator. I work with the students and their Baccalaureate advisers, explaining the kinds of requirements they’ll have when they’re exhibiting their work,” Faris said.
Each body of work is highly expressive and unique.
“They are very representative of what each student artist is interested in and what they’re curious about, what questions they have,” Faris said.
One series, “Colossal,” is comprised of several photographs of sunsets, each manipulated to accentuate colors and the interactions among them.
“I love color,” said Shelby Steidl, creator of “Colossal” and a BFA candidate. “I wanted to focus on how we see colors and the emotions we feel when we see them.”
She chose to hang her photographs against a black wall to emphasize the contrast between the bold colors of sunsets and the darkness that follows. “I thought it was appropriate because, without color, you have darkness,” Steidl said.
Other projects include “Latex and Sandpaper” by Kiley Smith, “Perfect Imperfection” by Candy Skauge, “Committed” by Hillary Ehlen and “Numinous Pathways” by Megan Johnson.
During the opening reception, each student delivered a talk and answered questions about her work.
“With the artist talks that we had on the night of the reception, there’s a great opportunity for artists to gauge impact and how their work is actually affecting their audience,” Faris said. “I think a part of the process that’s very valuable is the interaction with the community.”
The intent of the Baccalaureate exhibition prepares students for careers in the arts.
“This is a good representation of what their experience is going to be outside of school. It’s a hallmark of what we do as artists, which is show our work,” Faris said. They learn how to interact with a curator and become accustomed to exhibiting their work in a gallery.
“The major benefit of exhibiting in a gallery is working with a curator,” Faris said. “A good curator should ask questions, not tell the artist what to do.”
Additionally, the process enables students to define their interests and mature as artists while gaining professional experience.
“It’s been an adventure,” Steidl said.