Believe it or not, teachers actually do more than just teach, and faculty members of the BGSU School of Art are about to prove it, for the 55th time.
The 55th Annual Faculty Staff Exhibition showcasing artwork done by some of the finest artists in this region will be on display in the Dorothy Uber Bryan Gallery from December 4 through January 18. An opening reception will be held on December 3 from 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.
Eight-eight remarkable works done by 48 artists in a wide range of media will be on display during the exhibit. Works done by current staff members of the School of Art. Also current and emeriti faculty will fill the walls of the Uber Bryan Gallery, allowing students a chance to see the awesome skills of the teacher’s first hand.
“Students will be able to see the wealth, quality and diversity of the work produced by the faculty,” University art professor, Michael Arrigo said. “Teachers and practicing researchers recognized on an international level will be on display in the gallery.”
Arrigo is just one of the artists, who will be on display during the 55th Annual Faculty and Staff Exhibition. One of the works Arrigo will showcase in the exhibit is “Flotsam.”
“Flotsam deals with what goes on just below the surface,” Arrigo said. Flotsam is a vivid oil painting done in three separate painting styles, on three separate panels. The top panel shows legs and feet done in cut style. The second panel shows a glowing vessel bobbing in the water, and the other shows cascading forms dangling in a blue field.
“This paintings give a nova space feel,” says Arrigo. This thought provoking painting is also done on three panels, one large and two smaller. The top large panel shows Penny pulling her dress over head, while the two smaller panels show wood, with tar filling the cracks.
Also featured during the exhibit is University art Professor Dennis Wojkiewicz. He displays two paintings, “Citrus Series #9 and #10,” both paintings done in oil on canvas.
“The work is severely edited still life, which has evolved from more traditional table-top set-ups I used to do,” says Wojkiewicz. “There is also a reference to ‘vanitas’ painting, the use of the still life as a metaphor for the transitory nature of life.”
His lush paintings show the beauty of natural forms captured at the moment before corruption.
“This is an opportunity for students to see, first hand, the working methods of the people who teach them. The show also highlights the great diversity and vitality in the forms of expression which define faculty as a whole,” Wojkiewicz said.
Seeing the stunning artworks on display will help students appreciate, understand and realize the great knowledge of art that the faculty and staff of the University withholds. A whole new appreciation for art and faculty await at the doors of the Dorothy Uber Bryan Gallery.
The gallery will be closed December 15 through January 11. For more information on the 55th Annual Faculty and Staff Exhibition please call 419-372-8525.
