Visual Arts Faculty Present Colorful and Impressive Show

The Department of Visual Arts is currently holding its faculty art exhibit at the Stephanie Ann Roper Gallery of the Fine Arts building. Featured faculty members are Jackie Brown, Susie Bucchino, Dustin Davis, Judy Dieruf, Susan Dodge, Travis English, Patrick Faville, Robert Hein, Pete Herzfeld, Harlowe Hodges, Steve Matthews, Jamison Odone, Courtney Redding, Sharon Schade and Dennis Sherald.

The biannual campus event features various works of clay, paint, photography, metal and more. These artworks appeal to many audiences and will catch the eye immediately after entering the gallery. Whether it be the size of Hodge’s “Soul of a Child,” the depth of Herzfeld’s book display, or the sparkle of Schade’s acrylic painting, the exhibit does not disappoint.

Hodge’s mixed medium canvas immediately grabs attention. The almost wall-length painting focuses on “Some Things I Grew Up With” and is 90% from completion. In size, it is the largest piece in this gallery and full of bright, child-like colors. It displays building blocks, stuffed animals, jacks, and dolls. Each of these items was actually a part of Hodge’s own childhood, and he includes the story behind each of them. The Raggedy Ann Dolls have the faces of two faculty members, Dr. Randall Rhodes and Bob Llewellyn. Their faces are part of an ongoing series which represents the faculty who originally hired Hodge in 2002.

Herzfeld’s exhibit is clean-cut and displays books with the words “SUCH SCENIC WHITE LIES INVENT MELEE UNSEEN VICTIMS WHINE WITHIN” carved into the cover and every page. There is no other information given with this 3D presentation, so the story behind it is left unknown. Each of the books is perfectly hollowed, centered in individual frames and evenly spaced on the wall.  he tidiness and preciseness causes this work to stand out among the rest.

The bright acrylic painting by Schade is especially eye-catching due to its size and vibrant colors. Though it has no title, the creation clearly exhibits some sort of wild and fun acrobatics. The images portrayed seem somewhat supernatural. The painting is topped off with jewels and pom-poms, to add texture and excitement.

“Betty Loves Caddy Pillars” is another of the acrylic paintings on display. Bucchino used cool colors to illustrate a woman with an umbrella surrounded by falling caterpillars.  These caterpillars seem to be falling from a tree or maybe mystically raining from the sky. The woman is relaxed, despite the dropping insects.  Upon taking a closer look, one can see that her coat and ankle accessories seem to be entirely made up of her furry friends.

In addition to numerous paintings and illustrations at the exhibition, there are also forms of sculpture and pottery, like Davis’ 3D functional sculpture, “Personal Histories.” The setup includes a wooden chair with a padded seat holding a protractor, a book, an old wooden shoe, some kind of brush and a globe.

English’s stoneware collection makes up some of the pottery displayed.  It includes glazed and wood-fired stoneware. These ceramics are made up of earthy tones and are sized in proportion to regular table pottery.

This Sunday, March 8, is the last day to view the exhibit. Normal gallery hours are Sunday through Wednesday from 1 to 4 p.m.

Cover image is of Pete Herzfeld’s “SUCH SCENIC WHITE LIES INVENT MELEE UNSEEN VICTIMS WHINE WITHIN.”