Exhibition in Birke Art Gallery features work of Marshall faculty and staff
Students can get a look at art created by professors and university staff members at an exhibition on display in Birke Art Gallery until Nov. 8.
“It’s a great opportunity for students to get to see what their professors are involved in,” said Erika Lawson, one of the featured artists in the exhibition. “We all have lives outside of just our teaching activities, so I think it’s cool for students to see maybe what they could be doing.”
In addition to Lawson’s work, the exhibition will feature pieces from Amanda Abbott, Allison Broome, Staci Leech, Rhoda Lowinger, Melissa McCloud, Allora McCullough, Jamie Platt and Cassidy Sullivan. The gallery hours are Monday-Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Lawson’s work on display in the exhibition is a video compilation titled “Dreamhouse.”
“’Dreamhouse’ is about three and a half minutes long, but all the clips in it are 10 to 30 seconds and they were designed to be stand-alone pieces that just loop on social media, so I kind of think of them as video collage,” Lawson said.
Lawson said the classes she is teaching were part of her decision to submit “Dreamhouse” to the exhibition.
“I thought it would be appropriate since I’m teaching some video art classes for the art department to submit a video art project,” Lawson said.
McClough, another faculty member with work featured in the exhibit, created work in a different medium.
“The work is a figurative installation of human, animal and porcelain vessels that raises awareness about sexual violence of children,” McClough said about her piece, which she has submitted in four other exhibitions.
McClough said her artwork is meant to raise awareness to injustices and to inspire change.
“The really important aspect of my exhibit is that it’s raising funds for Contact of Huntington, which is a 24-hour rape crisis center here in Huntington, and they are connected through the Women’s Center on campus,” McClough said. “Props that are in the exhibit are for sale, and the proceeds from those sales directly benefit the local organization.”
McClough said the exhibition is beneficial to students because the artists are available on campus to discuss the work with them or answer questions.
“I think the exhibition is overall a really good example of contemporary practices, and it’s very accessible,” McClough said. “So not only is it on campus, but all of the artists are accessible to the students because we teach here.”
Summer Jewell can be contacted at [email protected].
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