All-campus art exhibit features wide variety of artists

By Petey Brown

A&E Editor

Saint Mary’s University hosts an all-campus art exhibit along with a senior showcase of two art majors in the Lillian Davis Hogan Gallery from Nov. 17 until Dec. 15. 

The two seniors are Marie Fidler, a Graphic Design major, and Nikki Farmer, a Studio Art major.  There are also pieces in the show that have been submitted by other Saint Mary’s students that are art and non-art majors.  

Farmer has five pieces in the show: four installations and a lithography print.  The print is a water color painting that goes along with the installations, which are painted sculptures of human bodies containing deer skulls and bones.

“They [the sculptures] are made with plaster, wire and acyclic paint,” Farmer said.  “The sculptures are mainly pieces that describe how nature and humans have survived the difficult times in life.”

Farmer said she was inspired by an idea while studying abroad in Italy. Her inspirational idea was to bring a painting into a three-dimensional world.  

“I am very interested in the human body; it is beautiful and full of grace. The deer skulls and bones helped bring an interesting concept to the art,” Farmer said.  “To not only see a painting, but to be surrounded by the life it has.” 

Farmer said her favorite part of the show was opening night when people were there asking her how her pieces were made and what inspired them.

“It’s exciting to see people really engaging in the art and wondering why it is there,” Farmer said.  “Without the help of the Art Department and the advice of the art professors, I could have never made my ideas a reality.”

The art show also had pieces submitted by a variety of SMU students.

“The students who submit art work do not have to be art majors or even have taken an art class,” said Saint Mary’s Art Chair Preston Lawling.  

The submitted pieces are chosen by the faculty to be exhibited because there is not enough room to display all the artwork.  

Sophomore Midge Reller, a journalism and graphic design student, has two pieces in the show.  One is a charcoal and pastel drawing titled “Time After Time” and the other is a pastel drawing titled “Fruit of the Loom.”

“The pieces I entered were both in-class assignments from my Drawing II course that I have with Preston right now,” Reller said.  “There are a lot of talented artists here at Saint Mary’s with a lot of unique styles, and a show like this gives everyone the opportunity to see the pieces that students have worked hard to put together.” 

Another student with pieces in the art show yet is not an art major is senior Brendan Cahill, who is studying public relations.  He had two pieces in the art show that are black and white printed photographs.  

“One picture is inspired by a Billy Joel song and the others are three pictures in a series that was inspired by a verse of an epic poem I wrote,” Cahill said.  “I love the art show so that non-art students like me can show their art work.”

Lawling also said how he likes that ths art show gives all Saint Mary’s students the opportunity to show off their talents. 

“The exciting thing about this show is that we get to see the creativity of all the Saint Mary’s University students, not just the art students,” Lawling said. “The Saint Mary’s community should know that all of our students are creative, and we enjoy showcasing the works of these students.”