LBSU Reopens Student Art Galleries

Exhibitions showcase talent and the value of providing students with creative space.

The LBSU School of Art reopened its student art galleries on Sunday evening in its first exhibition of the academic year. Featuring art by 12 LBSU students, the exhibition ran from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and showcased paint, paper, performance and fiber-based art pieces.

Students Elaine Atwood, Taylor Austin, Natalie Cruz and Teresa Womack presented full collections in their own exhibit spaces while a group display by the university’s fiber program occupied an adjacent area.

Almost primal in its execution, “Full Bloom” explored the flexibility of the human spirit in adversity.

Built from previously painted, cut up and reassembled canvases, Atwood’s exhibit “Full Bloom” featured various female bodies that she described as a “patchwork abstraction that alludes to the body.”

Heavily diverting from such profound themes was Taylor Austin’s exhibit “Wish You Were Here.”

In her documentation of the exhibit, Austin rejected the idea that “art has to have deep meaning [in order] to be significant.”

 small portraits influenced by pop art — evoked deep feelings of restlessness and impulsiveness.

What she did find significant, however, was the impact of a place to exhibit her art.

“It’s [exhibiting] importance, especially to somebody like me,” she said. “It’s important to help get your work out there.”

This sentiment was shared by attendee and fellow artist, Sarah C. Arnold, who described the value of exhibit hall space to new artists as “incredible.”

“You can see your work in a completely different way and you get feedback,” she said.

 Arnold stands in front of one of the group fiber art displays, which she described as “peaceful” and “nostalgic.

The final two displays were more immersive. Cruz incorporated the gallery into her piece by stringing paper and metal at different angles to attract different lighting, while Womack included herself, a decision that created a sense of helplessness as attendees could only watch her fail to dismantle a wooden pallet.

Regardless of medium, the exhibition was a display of the creativity and innovation that students continue to bring to campus when given a platform.

The LBSU School of Art will continue to open new art shows every Sunday of the ongoing academic year.

Gallery hours:

Monday — Thursday: 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday receiving extended hours until 7 p.m.

Sunday: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

 Austin described her process as finding “an image that went with the colors.”
More figures seem to become visible the longer you look at Atwood’s art.
 In Cruz’s exhibit, attendees became a part of the art.
 Described as an investigation of “the color yellow in relation to grief,” Womack never moved to grab a better tool.
Described as an investigation of “the color yellow in relation to grief,” Womack never moved to grab a better tool.

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