The university is home to a variety of spaces that display works by artists of all levels, from student beginners to those who are internationally renowned. Each gallery has a different mission and presents pieces in its own style, but all provide students with a cultural escape on the campus.
“We are pushing the conversation of what is art,” said John Shipman, director of The Art Gallery at this university. “I think that for students, it’s something they have to define for themselves all the time, because if you’re going to be an artist and make art, you have to figure out what that is.”
The Stamp Gallery is located on the first floor of Stamp Student Union and exhibits artwork from local, professional and national artists. It aims to showcase contemporary art that is engaging and challenging and addresses social issues, Shipman said.
The gallery is primarily staffed by students, allowing many the opportunity to work the multi-faceted operations of a gallery for the first time.
“We allow our students to really get involved,” said Jackie Milad, gallery coordinator.
One of the joys of working at the Stamp Gallery is watching students grow as they immerse themselves in their jobs — “students come into the gallery with not a lot of experience and [leave] with a greater understanding of gallery operation and how to be professional or how to research art and have an appreciation for art,” Milad said.
The Art Gallery hosts various exhibitions by artists around the world with a focus on contemporary art. Artwork in its collection is built and managed in a different way than the Stamp Gallery, Shipman said.
“We’re trying to open the scope of what can happen in a gallery, possibly in a way that the other galleries might not be able to do,” he said.
The gallery has reached out and collaborated with several departments on the campus to deliver blended exhibitions involving poetry, dance and theater.
“We’re digging into our collection and finding the strengths and building upon those strengths, but at the same time sticking to our mission of showing contemporary work,” Shipman said.
The gallery exhibition themes are created through a group effort by Shipman and his staff or through the art department’s faculty-pitched ideas. There are four to six exhibitions each year that typically last six to eight weeks.
Another spot on the campus, the Herman Maril Gallery, is located on the ground floor of the Art-Sociology building and was created with the sole purpose of serving student artists. A fourth space, the David C. Driskell Center, holds exhibitions and visiting artists lecture series that emphasize on expanding and preserving African American artwork. The center was named after professor emeritus and well-known African American art history scholar David C. Driskell and is located in Cole Field House.
“Art is everywhere and should be appreciated by all,” said Jesse Wu, a sophomore art major. “It helps us grow intellectually, culturally and feeds our growth as human beings.”
