Tippetts & Eccles Galleries host Annual Graduate & Undergraduate Exhibitions
From wood-fired cups to oil paints on a canvas, Utah State University students showcased their works at this year’s Annual Undergraduate & Graduate Exhibition at the Tippetts & Eccles Galleries. The exhibition opened on Nov. 10 and welcomed visitors to study the artwork displayed throughout the room. Visitors silently reflected on the art as they passed each piece.
The gallery displayed art done by graduate and undergraduate students from the art program. These pieces were school projects or personal projects including a variety of mediums in the exhibition. It consists of paintings, sculptures, ceramic work, photography and more.
“When they take the classes, they’re able to learn so much and do so many cool projects, but this offers a way for students to have their work exhibited and shown to the public,” said Miriam Tippets, art major and gallery attendant.
Tippets told The Utah Statesman the goal of this exhibition was to give these art students a chance to showcase their projects. She said it can be a lot harder for students to get access to shows like this, but because the school makes it available, it helps open that door.
“I think the school providing those opportunities is super important,” Nikita Nenashev said.
Nenashev is a graduate student in the art program and one of the featured artists in the gallery. As a teacher, Nenashev has also gotten to see some of his students’ works featured in the gallery as well.
“It’s really important that people see what students are doing,” Nenashev said.
According to Nenashev, many of the artists showcasing their work have never done it before. The exhibition is an opportunity for these students to present their art with less pressure than other exhibitions would offer. It also gave them the opportunity to see what their art looks like in a gallery setting.
“Seeing how it looks in a gallery space is very different than seeing it in our studios,” Nenashev said.
Nenashev said these exhibitions are a good chance to try new mediums and other styles. It gives artists a chance to branch out and possibly work on something other than big projects. For Nenashev, that means taking a break from his thesis and trying working on a new method or a new technique.
Nenashev’s piece “Whiskey Cups” was created on a wheel with stoneware clay. The piece consisted of six small cups that alternated being a light blue or raw dark stoneware. Nenashev said the cups were set up this way to juxtapose the two surfaces and create a dramatic comparison.
“I’ve always loved making pots at this scale,” Nenashev said. “I find it very intimate.”
Nenashev had an additional piece in the exhibition titled “Peaks,” a woodfired stoneware.
The gallery may have been quiet, but according to Tippets, it attracts many visitors.
“There are often quite a few people,” Tippets said. “Professors from other universities, or friends of professors, and the general art community comes.”
The exhibition allows other art students to view what their peers and their mentors are working on. Nenashev said this is a different form of learning for students as they get to explore different mediums and different ideas.
Elise Gottling “Quilt Jar” by Millie Hansen is displayed at the Tippetts & Eccles Galleries, as seen on Nov. 12.
But the exhibition is not being presented to the art community alone. Tippets said they get many visitors who are either students at USU or members of the Logan community.
One of these students was Aubree Rasmussen. Rasmussen is an education major and wouldn’t normally enter the Fine Arts Center. However, this exhibition was open to anyone curious about the art.
After viewing pieces such as the oil painting “Look” by Kaisha Mills, Rasmussen commented that because these artists went to USU, she felt a sense of familiarity.
“I feel like I have a connection to this art because it’s done by people I could run into on any given day,” Rasmussen said.
After viewing these pieces, Rasmussen described what drew her to the art.
“It feels very free-spirited,” Rasmussen said about one of the featured photographs. “She just seems weightless almost.”
Rasmussen also expressed the draw the painting “Look” had on her, saying the colors in the art were captivating and made it almost difficult to look away.
This annual exhibition is an opportunity for those in the art program, but its impact has not stopped there.
“The gallery is very calming and peaceful, and it’s given me a break from my usual schedule and given me a chance to breathe,” Rasmussen said, “It’s helped me find my Zen.”