Gallery East features statewide students
Utah State University Eastern collaborated with the Logan and Blanding campuses to provide a month-long art exhibit that was open to the public in March.
The exhibit, “Here, There, and Everywhere,” included student work from each of the campuses.
It was the first time a collaboration like this was seen between Logan, Blanding and Price.
According to Noel Carmack, associate professor of art at USU Eastern, several different types of artwork were featured at the Gallery East, including painting, drawing, 3D works, photography, illustration and ceramic pieces.
About 30 students from the three campuses participated.
Carmack said exhibits like these provide opportunities for students to display their own art and see real art firsthand.
“I think it’s great to have people see your artwork because it opens some doors for opportunities for people to contact you,” said Elizabeth Foley, an art student at USU Eastern.
Foley had a few different pieces in the exhibit, including a ceramic version of Thing, the disembodied hand from the 1960s TV show, The Addams Family.
“I made it out of clay using just coils and slabs,” Foley said. “I didn’t really like the ceramic glaze, so I acrylicly painted it.”
Having experience in art galleries is a good opportunity for students to build their art portfolio, Foley said. Along with the resume aspect, the real-life experience of displaying your art is helpful.
“You get to see the process of framing or wiring it so it hangs up,” Foley said.
Foley said she did art all the time as a kid, because it helped her process her emotions and cope with stres.Her high school art teachers helped her display her art in the Springville art museum shop. This is where some of the art professors from USU Eastern met Foley and encouraged her to join the program.
“I really liked the energy they were giving. I also took a tour of the campus,” Foley said. “They have some amazing resources here for both 3D and 2D art.” Because of all of these reasons, and because the school was cheap, she ended up at USU Eastern.
“This degree in art has taught me a lot,” Foley said.
Foley is one of the first students in the associate of art program at USU Eastern.
“They’ve given us lots of resources to further our art opportunities,” Foley said.
According to Carmack, the program was created about two years ago. Before then, USU Eastern only offered art classes as electives. There are about 20 students involved in art at the campus, and five or six declared art majors.
The exhibit has been in the works for a while, Carmack said. He said during faculty meetings he’d think, ‘We’ve got this beautiful gallery’ that needed to be used.
The administration thought of using artwork from faculty, but someone suggested student work would be better to help make more connections between the schools.
The gallery is one of the first places the administration takes campus visitors.
“It’s kind of a hallmark,” Carmack said. “It’s a little bit of a struggle to get people to actually go into it.”
The gallery is located in a main crossing area near the front of campus, so many people walk by it. Carmack isn’t sure, however, if students know that the gallery is free and open to the public.
Several times throughout the year the gallery hosts visiting artists who bring their own art pieces and visit the school, talking to students about being an artist. these artist hail several of the surrounding states, including Colorado and Idaho, and many artists from Utah.
“I love that part because I can ask the artists about their process or their motivations,” Foley said. ”They’re just people. Because they’re doing their presentation and they’re all nervous. I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, you are like me.”
Foley is one of the first students in the associate of art program at USU Eastern.
“They’ve given us lots of resources to further our art opportunities,” Foley said.
According to Carmack, the program was created about two years ago. Before then USU Eastern only offered art classes as electives. There are about 20 students involved in art at the campus, and five or six declared art majors.