2008 Woodie Awards
A dormant tradition reborn
Andrea Furlong
Issue date: 3/23/06 Section: A&E
- Page 1 of 1
A white, feathery elephant, a silver penguin made from spoons and a crow shaped from coils of barbedwire are among the more than 70 art pieces created by Kirkwood Community College students currently on display at the Cedar Rapids Area Colleges' Student Art Exhibition 2006.
Featuring more than 200 pieces of artwork by nearly 70 students from Coe College, Mt. Mercy College and Kirkwood, the exhibit covers the walls and floors of Cornell College's Peter Paul Luce Gallery.
Once a longstanding tradition, displaying the work from students of all four colleges, the exhibition was last held almost a decade ago.
"The way that it used to work, it was held in conjunction with the Cedar Rapids Art Museum," said Cornell College Gallery Coordinator Susan Coleman.
Ever since the museum stopped hosting the exhibition, the tradition of the Linn County colleges laid dormant, until its re-emergence this year. Coleman said it was students, not college administrators or faculty, who initiated the movement to bring back the tradition.
"It was really because our art students were interested in seeing the work from other schools that it happened," said Coleman. "They asked to have it."
Cornell's student organization, the Art Interest Group, expressed an interest in reviving the traditradition last year. They approached Coleman about the idea, who discussed it with members of the Cornell art department.
After gaining approval from Cornell, Coleman and the students sent out personal invitations to Mt. Mercy, Coe and Kirkwood to take part in the exhibition. Coleman said she was surprised by the pieces the three colleges chose to display.
"There is a lot of strong work from all three schools. There are a lot of pieces that stand out as very thoughtful and particularly astute. I was especially impressed by Kirkwood students' art, considering [Kirkwood is] a two-year college with younger students," said Coleman.
When asked why there was no artwork in the exhibition from Cornell students, Coleman said she and the Art Interest Group didn't want to limit the opportunities for students from others schools to display their work, just so art from Cornell could be in the show.
"The gallery isn't that big," said Coleman, adding, "For us to try to fit the work of all four schools into that space would not be possible."
She said the main goal of Cornell art students hosting the exhibition was to learn about installing and organizing an exhibition.
Coleman said Mt. Mercy is considering hosting the exhibition next year. She also said she and the Art Interest Group are hoping the exhibition will become a tradition again, with each of the four colleges taking turns in hosting the event.
The Cedar Rapids Area Colleges Student Art Exhibition includes mixed media, stoneware, glass casting, blown glass, paintings, ceramics, photography, sculptures, relief prints, digital media, film, animation, drawings, prints and collages.
The exhibition is located in the Peter Paul Luce Gallery in McWethy Hall. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is free.
Featuring more than 200 pieces of artwork by nearly 70 students from Coe College, Mt. Mercy College and Kirkwood, the exhibit covers the walls and floors of Cornell College's Peter Paul Luce Gallery.
Once a longstanding tradition, displaying the work from students of all four colleges, the exhibition was last held almost a decade ago.
"The way that it used to work, it was held in conjunction with the Cedar Rapids Art Museum," said Cornell College Gallery Coordinator Susan Coleman.
Ever since the museum stopped hosting the exhibition, the tradition of the Linn County colleges laid dormant, until its re-emergence this year. Coleman said it was students, not college administrators or faculty, who initiated the movement to bring back the tradition.
"It was really because our art students were interested in seeing the work from other schools that it happened," said Coleman. "They asked to have it."
Cornell's student organization, the Art Interest Group, expressed an interest in reviving the traditradition last year. They approached Coleman about the idea, who discussed it with members of the Cornell art department.
After gaining approval from Cornell, Coleman and the students sent out personal invitations to Mt. Mercy, Coe and Kirkwood to take part in the exhibition. Coleman said she was surprised by the pieces the three colleges chose to display.
"There is a lot of strong work from all three schools. There are a lot of pieces that stand out as very thoughtful and particularly astute. I was especially impressed by Kirkwood students' art, considering [Kirkwood is] a two-year college with younger students," said Coleman.
When asked why there was no artwork in the exhibition from Cornell students, Coleman said she and the Art Interest Group didn't want to limit the opportunities for students from others schools to display their work, just so art from Cornell could be in the show.
"The gallery isn't that big," said Coleman, adding, "For us to try to fit the work of all four schools into that space would not be possible."
She said the main goal of Cornell art students hosting the exhibition was to learn about installing and organizing an exhibition.
Coleman said Mt. Mercy is considering hosting the exhibition next year. She also said she and the Art Interest Group are hoping the exhibition will become a tradition again, with each of the four colleges taking turns in hosting the event.
The Cedar Rapids Area Colleges Student Art Exhibition includes mixed media, stoneware, glass casting, blown glass, paintings, ceramics, photography, sculptures, relief prints, digital media, film, animation, drawings, prints and collages.
The exhibition is located in the Peter Paul Luce Gallery in McWethy Hall. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is free.