Talented Art Students Organize Two Exhibitions @CSUArtGallery

 

Thu 3/27 @ 5pm

This Thursday, The Galleries at Cleveland State University host their 43rd Annual Student Art Show and Merit Scholarship Exhibition. The Student Show is a juried exhibition organized entirely by CSU’s Student Organization of Fine Arts (SOFA).

This year’s jurors are Sean Burns and Brandon Juhasz. Burns is a fairly recent graduate of Cleveland Institute of Art (Drawing with a minor in Printmaking) and owner of Lakewood’s Breakneck Gallery.

Juhasz is a Cleveland-based photographer who uses alternative techniques to expand the definition and nature of photography. His work has been exhibited at The Galleries at CSU, SPACES, MOCA Cleveland and more. He is currently doing a residency as part of Cleveland West Art League’s (CWAL) 6 in Studio at 78th Street Studios.

The Merit Scholarship Exhibition is a contractual obligation of students receiving the Art Department’s Merit Scholarships. This year’s recipients are Dunya Abrahim, Yiyun Chen, Benji Diaz, Matt Kapela, Jeremy Kurth, Ben Rodriguez, Omid Tavakoli and Candice Vlcek.

“The studios are buzzing with activity this week,” says SOFA Faculty Advisor and Professor of Photography Mark Slankard. “Everybody’s excited about that last little step of mount and preparing their work for presentation. It just makes everything they’ve been working on a little more real, more important. It’s incredible what a good frame will sometimes do for a piece.”

“In preparation for this year’s Student Show, SOFA challenged our fellow students to ‘make artwork, not homework’,” explains SOFA President and Art History major Omid Tavakoli [work pictured above].

In the name of full disclosure, I served as SOFA President from 2011-2013. While I wasn’t involved in this year’s show, I helped organize the previous three Student Shows and participated in the last three Merit Scholarship Exhibitions. I worked as a student employee in the gallery and served as the Undergraduate Representative on CSU’s Gallery Committee for my last three years at CSU as well. I graduated from Cleveland State last Spring with a BA in Studio Art (Painting).

During my time at CSU, I worked side-by-side with some of these students. I personally exhibited their work in shows I’ve curated at CSU and throughout Cleveland. One could make a case for bias, but I encourage you to stop by The Galleries at CSU and see for yourself.

The Art Department’s former secretary, Linda Herman, once told me “CSU can be whatever you make it. You can go with the flow, get your degree and get out, or you can use the resources available to accomplish something truly special.” Those words stuck with me during my time at CSU. I now know firsthand that the quality of your experience (both in life and at CSU) is entirely dependent on your effort and attitude. I believe that should be the definition of an “education.”

Cleveland Institute of Art students get a lot of attention (and for good reason), but CSU is probably the most underrated art program in the region. Notable alumni include Wall Eye co-founders Linda Ayala and Dante Rodriguez (both are also talented artists and work at the Cleveland Museum of Art), CSU Professor of Printmaking and Painting Russ Revock, Baldwin-Wallace Professor and photographer Paul Jacklitch, Rotten Meat Gallery co-owner Dan Miller (who is also a painter and sculptor), local painters Dan Corrigan, Joanie Deveney (Joan of Art), George Kocar, Evie Zimmer (who is represented by Kokoon Gallery at 78th Street Studios and teaches at Tri-C) and more.

Like any juried exhibition of student work, the Student Show is an eclectic mix of work in a variety of media. This year’s show includes over 60 works by students from every discipline at CSU –  Drawing, Painting, Photography, Sculpture, Ceramics, Printmaking, Mixed Media and Graphic Design.

This year’s show features two new elements. First, the opening reception will take place on Thursday evening. The university recently decided to move all their openings to Thursday evenings, because students will not have Friday classes next year. The university is moving to state-mandated 3-credit hour classes, and adjusting curriculum accordingly.

The other new feature for this year’s show is a video gallery for time-based, computer graphic and video work in-between the North and South galleries. Stop by Thursday to see the changes, and check out the efforts of these hardworking, talented students.

 

 

 

Josh Usmani is a 27 year old local artist, curator and writer. Since 2008, his work has been featured in over 50 local and regional exhibitions.

 

 

 


Cleveland, OH 44115


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