College-wide student art exhibit addresses themes of identity

The Student Advisory Board to the School of Fine & Performing Arts (F&PA) has curated a new collection of 25 works by undergraduate students across a range of majors. The exhibit, entitled “Identity/Crises,” is displayed in the McKenna Theatre Student Art Gallery and includes paintings and drawings as well as works in collage, prose fiction and poetry.

This student-centered art event has the distinction of being conceived, created, vetted and presented entirely by students. The F&PA Student Advisory Board issued a campus-wide call for students’ interpretations and renderings of themes presented in “Rent,” following the Department of Theatre Arts’ production of the acclaimed musical in the fall ’14 semester.

Dozens of students, many of whom are enrolled in non-F&PA majors, responded to the call with works in diverse media, and many submitted more than one piece for consideration.

The submissions were then vetted by the five F&PA Student Advisory Board members: Raine Pultz ’15 (Visual Arts), Sarah Davis ’15 (Art History), Gabrielle Bouissou ’15 (Music), Brittany Martel ’15 (Theatre Arts) and Melanie Gabel ’15 (Theatre Arts).

“The number of submissions shows how passionate these students are,” said Martel. “College is a time to figure out who you are as a person, and that can be daunting. As a group, we wanted to give people with different perspectives a chance to express themselves and their experiences.”

At the “Identity/Crises” opening reception on Feb. 20, Paul Kassel, dean of the School of Fine & Performing Arts, lauded the Student Advisory Board’s efforts in envisioning this event and making it a reality.

“I am very proud of the Student Advisory Board for how they have imagined and developed this event, and proud too of what the student artists have done,” Kassel said. “I believe art is for everyone. This kind of college-wide experience is exactly what I had hoped to foster for this space.”

The open exhibit will be used as a catalyst for continuing dialogues on campus about themes of identity, gender and sexuality, race and ethnicity, socio-economic status and drug and alcohol addiction. Students and faculty from all departments within the School of Fine & Performing Arts will incorporate the student art into coursework this semester; for instance, art history majors will write commentary on individual pieces, and music students will compose their own responses.

The exhibit will remain in the Gallery through May 6. More information about the School of Fine & Performing Arts is available online.