Best of Show

PSU Juried Student Exhibit

By Rachel Levi; For The Clock

On February 9, 2016

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Best of Show

PSU Juried Student Exhibit

Rachel Levi
For The Clock
srlevi@mail.plymouth.edu

The Juried Student Exhibit takes place annually in the Karl Drerup Art Gallery at Plymouth State. Each year, visiting jurors select works from five levels of instruction, including a category for independent work. The artwork selected is on display in the Karl Drerup Art Gallery until Feb. 19.

This annual competitive exhibit showcases all levels of student’s best efforts in art making selecting pieces from a pool of submissions.

This year’s exhibit was juried by Darryl Furtcamp, director of the New England College Art Gallery and Shandra MacLane, teaching artist and owner of Squam River Studios.

“One of the biggest things that is a tradition, is that we get outside jurors so they’re not people that know the particular students, so it’s very objective,” said Cynthia Robinson, director of the Karl Drerup Art Gallery. Jurors should also be in close proximity to the university and be involved educationally with students at the high school or college level, said Robinson. This way, the jurors are sensitive to student work.

The show accepted a maximum of three submissions from each student. When asked how the jurors generally come to these conclusions, Robinson said “You can’t really describe that, it’s really difficult. But there were 142 pieces submitted and only 51 were selected.”

With less than a fifty percent chance of being selected, artists take a brave step forward in turning over their work to be scrutinized. “It’s a really good learning experience,” said Robinson.

“If you’re going to continue to make work and have it be shown, you experience a lot of rejection, so you need to know what that feels like and what it also feels like to get in.”

Marina Rodriguez, a junior ceramics major, submitted some of her art. “I submitted one collection I was really proud of. I submitted another piece, a pair of steel scissors, that I knew wasn’t as good,” she said.

“I was proud. Craft wise, it wasn’t good. But I was proud.”

Some students, like Rodriguez, submit their work for experience and recognition, but also because they’ve created something they’re satisfied with. Each piece is an accomplishment they may add to their repertoire. “We want this to be something you aspire to be in, so it’s not an easy in, even for advanced students,” said Robinson.

“The exhibit shows not only great student work, but it actually shows what being a student here is like. It can highlight the department and the programs,” said Robinson.

This year’s show is distinct from past exhibits because it features more three dimensional work, said Robinson. Instead of being drawing and painting heavy, as shows have often been, there is a distinct balance of mediums.

Robinson recounted one of the juror’s comments. “You don’t look at this show and say and say, I know what professor you were studying under because they left this imprint on you. That means we’re doing our job, letting our students use what we teach while becoming their own.”

Information about the Karl Drerup Art Gallery can be found at www.plymouth.edu/gallery Donec congue metus at lectus sollicitudin venenatis. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae;

Untitled | Robert Hansen
Monotype Print | Best in B