An appetite for artwork

Ian C. Mayer Trish Wann's "Somewhere Near Oracle," acrylic on canvas, hangs on the third floor of the Memorial Student Union in the Rotunda Gallery.

One doesn't need to absorb the masterpieces from the Louvre to satisfy the eye's desire to look at beauty. With the abundance of art houses and galleries around campus and within the Tucson community, people tend to overlook the art that lies right inside our very own Memorial Student Union. Unfortunately, students are often so busy consuming fast food to feed their baser appetites that they hardly notice the artwork within the building.

To begin with, there's the Union Gallery located on the first floor-a new exhibit opened there in mid-January featuring the paintings of Paula Wittner. With more than 25 years of experience, Wittner primarily works with oil and watercolor. Some of her inspiration comes from aspects of her personality and her past and present life, and several of her oil on canvas paintings consist of the recurring motifs of the violin and musical notes. When asked about the reasoning behind the symbolism, she said it goes back to when she was a young girl aspiring to become a violinist. Due to the lack of adequate practice, Wittner ended up quitting, yet her fascination with, and affection for, the instrument continued to live in her work. Her watercolors show tremendous attention to detail, revealing light- hearted and humorous scenes, while her oil paintings present a more serious side. The Union Gallery will host the works of Paula Wittner until Feb. 26.

On the second floor of the union, the Arizona Gallery is currently displaying the recent works of Eddie Shea. The pieces range from paintings to drawings, incorporating images, as well as text. This exhibit is ideal for those students who fall into a deep state of reverie trying to catch up on their prime sleep between classes, because the artist's dreams were used as the subject matter. One painting called "Flying" portrays a man floating in the air face-up. It's an image that is both universal and liberating, like much of Shea's work. Eddie Shea will be featured in the Arizona Gallery until March 12.

Finally, another story up, on the third floor, is the Rotunda Gallery, which just opened an exhibit featuring the art of Trish Wann. The show is titled "Living on Rocky Ground: Views of the Sonoran Desert," and includes a multitude of acrylic paintings focusing on the balance of nature. According to her "Artist's Statement," with her art, Wann "addresses the complexity and danger in our world, but focuses on the balance and the hidden beauty." Anyone interested in her work is welcome to attend the opening reception tonight in the Rotunda Gallery from 5 to 7 p.m. Wann will be at the event and will be available for questions. Snacks will be served for those who need some incentive to go. The Trish Wann exhibit will be open until March 26.

So, next time you're in the Union and you have several spare minutes, instead of sleeping away the afternoon, open your eyes and absorb the art that is all around you.