Staff Writer- Amelia Dewberry
All Student Juried Exhibition is on display now through Dec. 13th in the Schaefer Art Gallery. The event is put on every other year to showcase student work from across campus. Works range from anything like ceramics to charcoal to stained glass to photography and more.
All students are encouraged to submit up to three pieces of artwork. The Art and Art History faculty then jury on which work will be accepted. This year, the faculty accepted 40 pieces from 23 students. Awards are given for Best in Show as voted by the faculty, and Students’ Choice, as voted by the students in the show.
All Student Juried spotlights the work of two students who received summer grants for their art: Senior Katrinna Deters and Junior Tyler Kauffman. Kauffmann submitted a photo of an LED Red Bull sign. “I was inspired to capture this image simply because of my love for the drink,” Kauffman explained. He hopes that when people view his work, they “think about any part of their life, no matter how large or small, material or spiritual, and really explore how it affects their life.”
Kauffman is now a Studio Art major, but his background stretches back to elementary school when his art teacher made art his favorite part of the day. He is thankful to have his work displayed in the exhibition: “Being a part of this show furthers my academic and professional career through the exploration of mediums and academic development. It also really grows my confidence in my work!”
Like Kauffman, Senior Sigrid Rohrer has also been drawn to art since she was a kid. While she has other majors, she has “tried to take as many art classes at Gustavus as possible.” While she loves making all kinds of art, she especially enjoys painting and the process.
For the Beyond Brushstrokes class’ Day of Nature, Rohrer made a sculpture which is featured in the exhibition. “As humans, we often forget that we, too, are a part of nature. To model this unity, I created a tree-like sculpture utilizing a mannequin arm and natural materials.” Rohrer said. To illuminate human similarities to parts of the natural world, Rohrer prioritized a large scale with bark-like veins.
She encountered many challenges throughout the process, successfully navigating them with the help of professors, peers, and community members.
“For example, much trial and error occurred in order to get the mannequin arm to stand up vertically. Through multiple art professors’ help, especially Kristen Lowe, we found an effective way to go forward with it being propped up in a bucket full of rocks,” Rohrer said.
As an artist, Rohrer is “motivated to connect with the viewer to share a passion with the harmony and the beauty of the natural world. I hope the Gustavus community will be uplifted to take in the beautiful fall weather as much as they can.”
Rohrer’s art has never been installed anywhere before, so she is excited to be involved in this exhibition. “I feel connected with the Gustavus art community and love admiring my peers’ works.”
Art Preparator and Exhibitions Manager Audrey Power Theisen’s role was to coordinate and install all of the student work. “People should come to see and celebrate the wonderful art their peers have created. There’s an incredible amount of talent on this campus.”