On Friday, April 26, the McNamee Gallery at the Samuel Cupples House kicked off the second Saint Louis University’s Student Exhibition.
The student exhibition displays work by students from all areas of studio art, including ceramics, computer art, graphic design, painting and more.
Students enrolled in courses in the Studio Art Program are eligible to be in a show at the end of each semester, with the spring show being more selective than the fall. The spring show is also geared toward highlighting the work of senior students who will be graduating, whereas the fall show focuses on the work of 200-level courses.
Amy Bautz, a professor of studio art, emphasizes the importance of displaying work for art students.
“Exhibiting is an integral part of the art-making process, and this opportunity is a vital part of the studio art curriculum,” she said.
One senior whose work is displayed at the exhibition is Fallon Lott.
“To be accepted into the show is a real honor,” she said. “To have my hard work out there on display where everyone can see it… Well it’s an addiction, to be honest.”
However, she says that the most rewarding part of SLU’s student shows is the community.
“The best part of school shows is seeing what my peers have infested their time into,” Lott said. “We all have such different styles, yet everything is so well done.”
“It’s really nice,” senior Debra Reilly, a double major in English and studio art, agrees. “You get to share the work you’ve created in class with a larger community.”
Reilly had three pieces displayed in the show this semester, one of which was a painting of her twin sister Diane Reilly entitled “Livane.” “It’s great to get to share my artwork with my twin,” she added.
Bautz adds that the exhibition is important even for those students not involved in studio art at SLU.
“We hope that other Saint Louis University students who come to the student exhibit have their horizons expanded in a few different ways,” Bautz said. “Our students have a broad range of ideas and opinions, which are reflected in their engaging artwork.”
Studio art professor Sharron Pollack adds that “Students might see work that will challenge or intrigue them and the work may expose them to different ways of seeing the world.”
The McNamee Gallery is located in the lower level of the Samuel Cupples House and is open Wednesday-Friday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 1 p.m.-4 p.m. The show will be running until May 10 and is free of charge.