(10/14/03 12:00pm)
It's 1 a.m. on Monday night, and Holman Hall is still lit up - at least on the third and fourth floors. As several senior fine arts majors prepare for December graduation, late nights and intense days fill the last few months of school. Art majors are known for the wacky things they sometimes do for the sake of art.
But, everyone should realize that strange activities, such as staying up all night, exploring vacant barns for good photo opportunities and breaking branches off of trees for sculpture class, are not in vain. The work of the senior fine art majors this semester shows that all of this hard work has paid off.
For fine arts major Rosanna Bua, it means finding herself in her artwork. Bua is working on a digital self-portrait using Adobe After Effects and Macromedia Director. Viewers will be able to access different parts of Bua's brain by clicking on various sections, and the interaction results in a higher understanding of the artist's feelings, emotions and inner self. The most challenging part of the project for Bua has been revealing herself to the viewers.
"I have to have a better understanding of myself in order to express my feelings," Bua said. "I just hope the viewer gets a better understanding of me."
Another digital artist, senior Jed Snyder, is working with the 3-D modeling program Maya this semester. Snyder said his primary concern is to create seemingly ordinary objects by creating a photo-realistic replica of a tool shed. The shed will contain all of the typical items, such as a lawnmower, rakes and tools.
Snyder said that his primary concern is to amaze viewers.
"I want them to be astonished that I was able to create something so real, even though it isn't real at all," he said.
Snyder's work is extremely straightforward - there are no gimmicks for hiding behind his technical ability.
Sculptor Brett Sauder is working on a piece that has more of a social bent. He is creating a work called "Pocket Sprawl," a vending machine that dispenses cards with illustrations of items from the urban environment. The cards contain illustrations of bulldozers, people, SUVS and a limited edition tree card.
The machine will also display a commercial for the cards that it contains. Through this interactive card game, Sauder plans to comment on the current conditions of our society and teach people about urban sprawl. Sauder said his goal in all of his work is, "to create objects that carry a presence and sense of technical fabrication, function and visual form."
Kurt Phillips is working on an illustration project that combines his technical ability and creative talent. He creates his own imaginative world by illustrating character studies, settings and a narration in pencil. The elements will come together to form a cohesive world, he said. According to Phillips, the imaginary world will "be a medium to voice my opinion on social issues in the form of a story."
For Phillips, the most difficult part of the project is paring it down into work that he can complete within the timeframe of this semester.
By bringing more depth to his pencil work, he bridges the boundary between illustration and fine art.
"For art majors, the work never stops because your art is your life," Bua said. "Every experience becomes your art."
As the semester continues, the seniors juggle their art, life and post-graduation plans. Be sure to check out their efforts at the Senior Show, which opens on Dec. 5 in the Holman Hall Art Gallery.
(09/23/03 12:00pm)
Many students at the College seem to have the mistaken idea that there is nothing worth doing in Trenton. However, those few who venture inside the city further than Kat Man Du will find that there are unexpected cultural treasures within. For example, the art scene in Trenton is more vibrant than one might expect.
This week, stop in at Artworks, the Visual Arts School and Gallery, for a look at local artists' work. Artworks' "Faculty Focus" show began Sept. 5 in conjunction with Trenton's First Friday, in which local artists show their work along the streets of downtown Trenton the first Friday of every month.
The exhibit represents the work of Artworks' distinguished faculty members. The exhibit features 25 works from 11 faculty members and the media ranges from metal sculpture to oil painting to photography. Two Artworks faculty members, Sean Dembrosky, digital artist, and Kitty Hundley, sculptor, are College alumni.
One particularly striking piece is Stephen Kennedy's oil painting entitled "Head Study (Misty)." Kennedy, a longtime faculty member, recently won the prestigious Woodmere Endowment Fund Memorial Prize sponsored by the Woodmere Art Museum.
Faculty members were invited to submit as many works as they wanted, according to Tanika Jones, Artworks business manager. The show, which runs until Sept. 30, reflects the diversity of artists that teach at the institution.
A non-profit organization founded over a decade ago in Princeton, Artworks is funded by the Mercer County Cultural and Heritage Commission as well as by private donors. In order to continue with its programs, Artworks relies on donations and registration fees for classes and other events.
For art majors and others, Artworks is a great place to view other artists' work and to take classes with professional artists. "Artworks is a potent and necessary element of the art scene in Trenton," Sean Dembrosky, Artworks digital arts teacher, said. "It gives artists and students the opportunity to learn from each other and share ideas."
Besides offering classes in almost every medium imaginable, Artworks also provides one-time workshops, open studio time with a live model on Sundays, and a Second Sunday program in which parents and their children can work on projects together. During the summer, Artworks hosts a summer art camp for children at Princeton's Terhune Orchards. Artworks is also a stop on the Trenton First Friday bus loop, which brings visitors to various galleries around the city for a night of art and culture.
For the remainder of the year, Artworks is planning more exhibits for its gallery. Opening on First Friday in October is "Only Human," a show that includes work by a retired professor of sculpture at the College, Charles Kumnick.
"Artworks is a survivor," Kumnick said. "In spite of the many ups and downs of inner city Trenton, budget highs and lows and cutbacks for all arts organizations, over the years they have maintained a viable quality profile for the education and exhibition of the arts."
"Only Human" also features work by artists Susan Wilson, Pat Feeney Murrell and Frances Heinrich. After the show, the Trenton Artists Workshop Association will run the gallery, bringing more local talent to upcoming exhibitions.
Artworks is still accepting students for this semester's registration, which began Sept. 16. Visitors can stop by to browse or sign up for a class at 19 Everett Alley. The facility is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For more information, call 609-394-9436 or visit artworksnj.org.