Graduating artists display huge variety of work, including new genre submissions

As the culmination of their UA education nears, aspiring artists annually display the best works they created while developing their skills here. This year's exhibit features works in a fresh category: new genre.

Now through Dec. 5, the Joseph Gross Gallery presents the eighth annual Bachelor of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Arts senior art exhibition. The show features the works of 32 art students graduating this year.

The exhibition, titled "Varying Degrees," includes works in painting, sculpture, graphics, ceramics and digital arts. This is the first year the exhibit will include works in new genre, presented in the form of a couplet of short films.

Only last semester, UA's photography department expanded to add new genre as a major. New genre is "sort of a compilation of video and performance pieces" and is gaining popularity as an art form, said photography senior Erin Hessler. "It's very interactive with the audience and the artist."

The annual exhibit is always different.

"It's exciting to see the cross section of work these students come up with," said James Schaub, the gallery's director. "It's refreshing to see new work by young artists, to watch them take chances and create new things."

"It gives everyone a very good cross section of what the arts programs produce at the U of A," said Hesser, whose work is featured in the exhibition. "It's a good chance for anyone considering a major in art to see what kind of work the seniors here turn out. Everyone had the opportunity to submit one piece, something they were really proud of and that they really felt represented what they had done here at the university."

The show has a high community draw. High school students come to see what the university's art program has to offer, and professors bring classes in.

"A normal show here will bring in 60 to 80 people for the reception," Schaub said. "The B.F.A./B.A. show will always bring in at least 200."

The show gives graduating students the opportunity to take part in a gallery experience before they graduate.

"It's often very hard for students to get into galleries," Hesser said. "This gives them something to put in their resumŽ, and the experience of being part of a gallery show."

The show was open not only to studio arts majors but to students majoring in art history and education, too.

"It gives students a chance to see that you can enter the art world as a historian or teacher and still be considered an artist," Hesser said. "You don't necessarily have to make a living off of art to be an artist."

David Christiana, visual communications professor, and Joyan Saunders, new genre and photography professor, juried the show. As each student was only allowed to enter one piece in the show, the professors had the task of narrowing down students' pieces.

"There are a lot of promising artists coming out of the U of A," Schaub said. "This show gives the community a chance to see the best of what they do. It's exciting to see art from a young view and to see what's been happening in the school of art this year."

There are a lot of reasons, Schaub said, to see the show.

"Above all, there's the quality of the art work," he said. "There are a lot of interesting, challenging and beautiful pieces being displayed."

The show is open to the public, and admission is free. The gallery is located at the school of art and can be reached at 626-4215.