By
Kate VonderPorten
Arizona Daily Wildcat
2 student artists last to show work in Union Galleries
As Shakespeare would say, saying good-bye is bittersweet.
So when the University of Arizona bids farewell, at least temporarily, to the Union Galleries in the coming weeks, at least the galleries' two final shows will make the parting more sweet than sorrowful.
UA art students S.J. Gibson and Karen Domnitch Felton are to be the last two students to show their work in the Rotunda and Arizona galleries, respectively, due to the scheduled demolition of the Memorial Student Union this semester.
Gibson, a studio art senior, said the Rotunda Gallery was perfect for her show due to the large body of work she had to include in her exhibit.
"UA's Rotunda Gallery is really good because it is a large gallery and could accommodate my work," Gibson said. "I think that the work I make and included in the show are thoughtful and peaceful -- the figures are still and anti-dynamic. This will be a good visual metaphor as a stopping point for the gallery."
Felton's work will also culminate the Union Galleries tradition as a site for UA students to encounter artwork. She said her work is well suited as a grand finale in addition to Gibson's work..
"I hope that my work expresses a sense of 'never being too old to follow your dreams' and that if you really want something, you can make it happen," she said. "I feel that my work will provide a good memory for the building after it is gone."
Christina Lieberman, Union Galleries curator, said although she is unhappy the galleries are closing temporarily, she understands why they must close during the demolition of the union.
"While it is sad to see the Union Galleries close, it is only temporary," she said. "Ideally we could have kept one gallery open at all times during construction but unfortunately they are all located in the central part of the building and that just wasn't possible."
Lieberman added she is pleased the current exhibits by Felton and Gibson are the last to be shown in the galleries, as they are the perfect end to the Union's gallery tradition.
Gibson's show - named after the song "Since You're Gone" by The Cars -expresses isolation and loneliness in her work, reminiscent of 80s angst.
"I feel that my work is affected by the isolation and alienation that I felt in my later teen and college years," she said.
In her "Dunce" series - several lithographs of adults wearing dunce caps - Gibson deals with adult issues such as feeling the inability to maintain control of life.
"My 'Dunce' series is a statement about feeling awkward and ineffective as an adult," she said.
Despite dealing with more somber topics in her work, Gibson said, "I create the work because I am very much in love with the printmaking process."
Felton's show, "Shemear," was named after a term Felton said she overheard as a child. Because the word "shmearers" is used to describe painters, Felton said she changed the word slightly to suit her own experience with painting.
"I decided to feminize the title to 'She-mear' to mean 'she paints,'" she said.
Felton said, however, she does not want to be categorized as a feminist artist but instead views herself as "feminine."
"I am an artist with a universal appeal and prefer to not categorize my work which can be limiting" she said.
No stranger to the academic art scene, Felton is completing her BFA degree in fine arts at the UA after having attended Parsons School of Design in New York City among others. Felton said this "extra" life experience has allowed her to bring a wealth of knowledge to her sensual, color drenched work.
"I am much older than the average student and so I have a lot of subject matter to work with," she said.
Both "Since You're Gone" and "Shemear" close on March 18, officially making the two shows the last to be shown in the union.
"I couldn't think of a better finale for the galleries than S.J. Gibson and Karen Domnitch Felton," Lieberman stated in an email. "It is the first solo exhibit for both artists and they have both made a strong showing."
Despite the fact that the UA will be deficit two galleries until the new union opens, Lieberman said the future galleries will provide a fresh, new place for artists to display their work.
"The new gallery space is something to look forward to," she said.
