Three students took on the role of curators in the “Between Here & There” exhibit that opened this week, showcasing 17 student artists’ work through the theme of “exploring transitional spaces and moments that exist between two points.”
Reina Sundara, a senior fine arts major and one of the three student curators, said the theme was an exploration of the fluctuation in life and how people tread their own paths.
“We were honestly just going back and forth with thoughts of journeys and the transition from being a student to adulthood,” Sundara said.
The other student curators were senior graphic design major Rachel Manlubatan and junior Madison Yager, an art history and arts management double major.
The Hokin Gallery in the 623 S. Wabash building was transformed to house the many interpretations of the theme, with student art ranging from nostalgic memories to poems of loss. The student curators chose an image of a jellyfish to represent the work.
“The jellyfish is in the state between the high ocean and the low ocean, it’s like this sub area of water,” they said. “The whole theme of the show is like a state of transition and finding comfort and exploring the idea of traveling throughout time.”
The “Between Here & There” art exhibition held its opening reception on Friday, Feb. 21, and will run until March 25.
Outside the gallery entrance was a neon pink sign with the words “Art Party” displayed. The inside had various types of artworks exploring mediums such as photography, books, videos, sculptures and glass pieces.
After the curators finalized the theme, Mark Porter, senior exhibitions coordinator, said the students did the rest.
“We asked the artist to provide biographical information, and then an artist statement, and then the three of them kind of took that material and explained how that fits within the theme of the show,” Porter said.
Sundara said they started with classmates and peers they had worked with before, as well as artists whose work aligned with the theme, before reaching out to students to apply.
“It is really nice to do something like [this] before going out into the world, and trying to figure out how to do that outside of an environment where there’s somebody like Mark, who can help guide us through the whole process,” she said.
Junior graphic design major Ari Sanchez was invited to showcase her work in the exhibition.
“With this piece that I was working on, I was really interested in reflecting on my own time growing up in childhood and how that has impacted my career,” Sanchez said.
Sanchez created a motion graphic to be projected upon the exhibition walls, showcasing some of her memories from when she was about six-years-old to now.
“The title of the piece is called, ‘Everything is Happening at the Time,” she said. “Within the piece, it’s a lot of these separate moments of good happening. And I think right now in the world, when there’s all this crap that’s just going on, sometimes it’s nice to take back and reflect on the positivity.”
Juniper Darling had a quilt and two books showcased at the exhibition. The quilt is titled “Love Letters.” One book is “Scrapbook” and the other is titled “K.E.”
“Love Letters” is a hand embroidered quilt that speaks about health issues and the support Darling has received from their partner, as said with quotes on the quilt with one that said, “but you are steadfast in your soothing.
Both books were about their grandfather. “K.E.” includes the last flowers he cared for, wrapped in curtains from his home. “Scrapbook” reflects his work as a woodworker and his habit of saving everything. That theme is conveyed through the book’s materials, which include wood, fabric, pins and metal rings
“It’s really interesting to see how we perceive the world and how you can recontextualize that in your own way,” said senior illustration major Victoria Mak, who also had their work presented
Senior fine arts major Maria Camacho had a class with Sundara where she learned about the exhibition and was told a few of her pieces would work perfectly.
Three of her pieces were on display at the exhibition: a cement and plaster statue, “Faces We’ve Made”, which depicts the frozen faces of people who have shaped Camacho’s journey, and two stained glass works, “Recuerdos Suspendidos,” representing memories of Colombia.
“I’ve done the open studio, but this is the first exhibition that I’ve been involved [in],” she said. “It’s very exciting. It’s also a little intimidating. But it helps me to go through talking about my art and grow as an artist.”
The Hokin Gallery hours are Monday-Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Additional reporting by Emma Jolly.
Copy edited by Patience Hurston
