JSU Senior Exhibit Reflects Trends in Art Careers

By Hervey Folsom
Star Sports Writer
04-24-2008

Reprinted here in its entirety.

A life-size cartoon character hangs from the ceiling in Jacksonville State University's Hammond Hall Gallery, drawing lots of interest and questions. Titled "Foreign," it is student Alex Beck's foam core design. The design accompanies booklets which tell the story behind the design.

Nearby, a photography exhibit by Rebecca Britton, "Mirror Reflections" makes a statement, too. This display emphasizes that other people see us differently than we see ourselves.

In the opposite corner, Candace Taylor's three large posters call attention to concerts by three composers. Her lines and images were guided by the movement of the music she heard in "Romeo and Juliet" and "Peter and the Wolf," she explained to viewers.

The Senior Art Exhibition, titled "Gifted Hands," has transformed Hammond Hall Gallery into a place of discovery, thanks to seven creative and technically-oriented art majors. Their individual exhibits are samples of their chosen field in art. Their very best work was required, said instructor Marvin Shaw, who worked with the students.

"We expected a professional quality and no less," Shaw said. "We want to be sure they are ready to be competitive. We always encourage them to take their idea one step further."

This particular show reflects the latest trends in art careers, Shaw adds. The students in the department are aided by the latest equipment in the labs: new kilns for ceramics, printers that turn out large format work, and new computers and new programs in the graphic design room.

The exhibit will be up through April 29.

Mini-Works Show opens May 6

Small scale watercolors, collages, and pen and inks — some the size of a postage stamp — are coming into the JSU Art Department from May 6-May 30 for the annual Mini Works How. Artists from the region, the United States and from other countries participate each year, art instructor Marvin Shaw said. The show, juried and judged by Betty Mills Groover, is advertised in national and international magazines, he said.

The idea for having the mini-works show came from now-retired art instructor Lee Manners in the early 1980s, and it was a concept ahead of its time.

"We started these shows well before the trend of small works exhibits got started," Shaw said. It has developed into an exhibition that is extremely attractive to artists, he added, not only because of the challenge in doing such intricate work, but because their expenses in materials and shipping are less expensive.

"We usually receive framed work from Hawaii, Maine, Canada and New York each year," Shaw said. "It's amazing to see what's being done each year."

Hammond Hall Gallery is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. Stop by department secretary Jane Green's office to gain access to the gallery.

There is no admission fee to the shows.

See story at The Anniston Star's website: www.annistonstar.com

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