After spending countless hours in the studios in the basement of Scales Fine Arts Center, students put the finishing touches on their most prized creations. Running up the stairs, often just minutes before the deadline, they submit their work at the gallery—hoping a panel of faculty judges for the Student Art Exhibition will select their piece for the show.
Judges may choose works based on the artist’s skill, the level of improvement between a student’s first work and the work submitted, or the degree of challenge the student faced in creating the piece.
This year, works by 34 student artists were selected for the exhibition, which runs through May 20 in the Hanes Art Gallery. The show includes paintings, photographs, collages and videos.
Senior computer science major Stephen Parey combined his interests in computers and art for his work, “Rusty Motherboard.” Parey designed a copper plate to look like a futuristic computer piece by etching an intricate line pattern into it.
Cami Burruss, “Enroute”
“Working in the studio art department, it is always great to see what others are doing and gain inspiration and tips from their artwork. The student exhibition is a great opportunity to see everyone’s designs and collaborate with them about their piece and the process behind it,” Parey says.
Those students selected enjoy seeing the pieces they have worked on throughout the semester displayed in the gallery. For some, studio art courses offer an opportunity to continue doing the art that they love; for others, the courses are a way to learn something completely new.
First-year student Cami Burruss took photography courses prior to college and enrolled in Introduction to Photography to further develop her skills.
“As a first-year student, I was not anticipating having multiple pieces presented and for the faculty to think my work strong enough to be part of the exhibition,” Burruss says.
In her first studio art course, Introduction to Sculpture, sophomore history and art history major Brittany Forniotis created “Bite,” which was selected for the exhibition.
“The opportunity to be a part of this show is a true testament to the nature of the liberal arts education that Wake Forest provides,” Forniotis said. “Even though I am not studying studio art, I have had the opportunity to experiment in the arts, and I feel encouraged by seeing my work displayed in a real gallery.”
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