Emmily Chang’s piece ‘Kinetic’ shot on Fuji Instax film, is displayed as part of the Senior Projects Exhibition at Urban Arts Space. Credit: Shelby Lum / Photo editor
Ohio State’s graduating fine arts majors have one last commitment before leaving the university — the Senior Projects Exhibition.
Works from the graduating art students are set to presented at the Urban Arts Space Tuesday in the Department of Art’s Bachelor of Fine Arts Spring 2014 Senior Projects Exhibition.
As part of the fine arts curriculum requirement, artists are set to display work from a range of media and approaches during the course of their OSU studies, including drawings, paintings, photographs and sculptures.
George Rush, assistant professor of Drawing and Painting and faculty adviser for fine arts Drawing and Painting students, said the exhibition is a vital opportunity for students to see their work in a setting outside the classroom.
“For many of the students, it’s the first time they’ve ever seen a project of their own come to fruition, and that in itself is a wonderful experience … it’s amazing they get to see their work in a somewhat professional context, beautifully hung and lit. It’s an important part of their artistic career,” Rush said.
Rush said the students put in an immense amount of time before the work is ready to be shown, usually about a year, and this isn’t always easy for students to balance with other commitments.
“Many of our students have pressures outside of school, financial or family pressures. They’re always juggling too much and so the demands of being an artist sometimes are surprising in terms of how much time and money it takes to make it work,” Rush said.
Darcie Drum, a sixth-year in fine arts, is planning to present four “decay” paintings.
“They’re not clean, crisp or clear, they’re very destroyed. I create that effect by using joint compounds, rust, burning, tearing, cutting and painting,” Drum said.
Drum said she hopes viewers take something away from her pieces.
“The fact that we live in the Rust Belt inspired me,” Drum said. “Everyone is going to interpret them differently, as long as they take some decaying fact away from them, the fact that it surrounds them and it’s important.”
Her senior project hasn’t been free of obstacles, however.
“There’s moments of a lack of creativity. There’s some points where you’re not sure what you do. You keep working to find it again,” Drum said.
Ashton Montgomery, a fifth-year double major in drawing and painting and theatre, is slated to share a somewhat interactive piece with the audience.
“I have this antique department store display case, and it’s filled with small envelopes that people are allowed to take home like a souvenir. Some of them have actual things inside, some have writing or paint, or a printed image inside,” Montgomery said.
Montgomery said she has always collected odd artifacts like napkins and harbored the urge to “preserve memories.” This fascination with memories drove her project.
“I hope to get (people) to think about memory and how it functions. It’s fun to work so hard on something and have someone else see it and experience it — and with mine — take it home and keep it forever,” Montgomery said.
The exhibition is set to be open to the public until the reception May 3 from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Urban Arts Space, located in Suite 130 at 50 W. Town St. The Urban Arts Space is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., though it stays open later until 8 p.m. on Thursdays. Admission is free.
