Ohio State students from a multitude of majors are displaying diverse mediums of art, but they share a passion for it, which they have cemented through joining the Arts Scholars program.
The Arts Scholars Juried Exhibition opened Tuesday at the Urban Arts Space in downtown Columbus, showcasing artwork by Ohio State students from the Arts Scholars program.
A reception will be held Saturday from 5 to 7 p.m., in the Urban Arts Space, located at 50 W. Town St. The Space, which was founded in 2008, is mainly run by OSU students, with some professional instruction. Its free exhibitions present works by students, along with local, national and international artists.
“We put on events featuring everything from concerts to performance to visual arts,” said Kelly McNicholas, communications coordinator for The Arts Initiative. “This exhibit is everything from sculpture to photography, all made by students in Arts Scholars.”
Students get into the Arts Scholars program via an application process. The program offers lectures, workshops and opportunities for community involvement, as well as local and international trips to students with strong interest in the arts.
Madeleine Rico, a second-year in art, will be participating in the exhibition. She said she thinks the program does a great job of connecting art and the community.
“It’s encouraging me to branch out and focus on other people’s art because it’s such a big community with different majors,” she said.
Students in the Art Scholars program aren’t necessarily in arts-related majors. The program provides a creative outlet for those pursuing other interests.
Annalisa Hartlaub, another participant in the exhibition, is a photographer who has had her work displayed at local events like Worst Kept Secret Fest, but her major reflects a different path: science.
“It’s been great,” said Hartlaub, a first-year in neuroscience, of the Arts Scholars program. “I was really happy to find out about it when I applied to OSU. I have a passion for science and I wanted to get a degree in it, but I love art and I love the art that I make, so I was excited to have this opportunity.”
During the reception on Saturday, a jury of faculty and community art leaders will choose the best of show. The jury consists of Richard Fletcher from the Department of Classics, Laura Lisbon from the Department of Art and Ken Aschliman of the ROY G BIV Gallery.
Rico and Hartlaub are two of 13 artists showing work in this exhibition, which will run through Jan. 30. The gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursdays.
