On Monday April 18th, the Houghton Art Department opened its annual Student Art Exhibition. At this year’s show, twelve graduating students working toward a BFA in studio art will present work across a range of materials, including drawing, ceramics and sculpture, photography, painting, and mixed media.
“As you get closer to a show, students realize how fast that deadline is approaching,” Cooley said with a chuckle. “But it’s a great learning experience to be put in that situation,” he added, because it forces students to grapple with the realities of the professional world.
In fact, the Senior Exhibition aims to simulate the practical realities of professional work as fully as possible. “We don’t guarantee anybody to be in the show,” Cooley explained. “You have to present your work, and it has to be approved, just like you would in an actual gallery.” In order to coordinate a successful exhibition, students must consider how each element of the viewing experience coordinates with all the others.
Participating students are also responsible for the practical aspects of the show—such as setting up the gallery and organizing refreshments for the artists’ reception—which provides a glimpse into a visual artist’s day-to-day work. “They all learn in a collaborative effort to pull all those details together,” said Cooley. “It’s a very real-world experience.”
Organizing such a large show with such a diversity of styles can be an exercise in flexibility, but Cooley is confident in the students’ ability to put out their best work. “Somehow every year, we miraculously pull it off,” he mused. “This year’s not any exception—the work is coming out really strong.” The artists have flourished under what Cooley refers to as the “refining pressure” of a hard deadline. “The students are realizing what they’re really capable of doing. As they head into it, it’s this daunting scary thing. But then they realize what they’re really capable of.”
All this work gives students the opportunity to welcome hard-earned encouragement and recognition from the Houghton community. “Exhibiting seniors are working across a broad range of processes to each create a body of work that articulates their voice as an artist in today’s visual culture,” commented Professor Alicia Taylor, director of the Ortlip Gallery. “The senior exhibition is an opportunity for the community to recognize the achievements of our students in the conclusion of their study here as they move forward to engage in communities that reach out beyond our walls.”
Is it difficult to cultivate a show that draws on so many different media and artistic styles? Challenging, perhaps, but rewarding as well. “It’s really interesting to see some of the overlaps, and see where the work speaks to each other. You see some of the influence of the professors, but I intentionally allow them to think in their own ways, to find their own voice and style. They all do have a uniqueness to their work.”
And this diversity makes for a viewing experience that’s never dull. “It makes a very interesting show. It expands the conversation, it gets fun,” Cooley said. With a grin, he added: “You’re certainly not going to get bored.”
The Senior Student Art Exhibition opens at theGallery on Monday, April 18th. An artists’ reception will be held in the CFA atrium at 7 P.M. on Friday, April 22nd, with refreshments to follow.