A bowl of potato chips sits on a pedestal, unremarkable save for the somber faces painted onto each and every chip. It’s a disconcerting feeling to have a staring match with deep-fried produce.
Abigail Blosser’s (’97) submission, “Something I Want To Tell You,” is by no means the only piece on display at the second Guilford College Alumni Art Exchange and Exhibition, but it is one of the highlights. It is a standout in a gallery filled with standout works, ranging from ceramics and painting to pyrography and performance art.
The exhibit, which officially opens on Friday, April 2, was “the birth child” of Terry Hammond, Director and Curator of Art Gallery, according to Charlie Tefft, Instructor in Art and ’96 Guilford graduate.
Hammond “plans and executes the exhibitions with limited help from … the art faculty,” Tefft said. The exhibit was installed by senior art major Emily Tarleton, who interned with Hammond this semester, and Guilford alum Marc Bernstein.
According to Hammond, the show grew out of a desire to showcase “the talents of alumni. [The Art Department and I] decided to plan both an exhibition to feature the work of those making art, and a career symposium to feature those who were involved in the arts in other ways.”
Friday begins a weekend of lectures, panel discussions and forums featuring Guilford alums. All events will be free, and open to the public.
The keynote speaker is Elizabeth Burke (’90), co-director of the Clementine Gallery in New York City, giving an address on “The Business of Art for Artists,” at 9:45 am Friday.
The show will give 19 Guilford College Art alums the opportunity to return and share their experiences through seminars ranging from “Art-Related Careers” to “Surviving and Thriving as Practicing Artists.” They are photojournalists, interior designers, professors, printmakers, and potters.
“If you want to find out what kind of things can happen to you on your way to finding a career that you love after you leave Guilford, you should come to this series of events,” said Adele Wayman, Professor of Art and one of the Art Exchange’s coordinators.
The gallery submissions represent 44 alumni from the classes 1948 through 2003, and “several art alumni will visit Guilford students’ art studios for critiques,” according to the college website. For Wayman, this is one of the most rewarding parts of the show.
“It’s been thrilling to talk to all my old students, see them again, and find out what they’ve been up to,” said Wayman.
But the weekend’s focus is on the art itself, which will be displayed in the Guilford College Art Gallery until May 9. Sophomore Art Major Natalie Sept was involved with the setup of the exhibit, and offers a preview of things to come.
“This show has definitely tipped the scale of excellence,” Sept said. “I’m excited for Mark Dixon’s performance art piece … Any man that locks himself in a garage with his friends, food, waste receptacles and a bike for five days straight to make a record player, has to a) draw a fantastic crowd and b) come from Guilford College.”
Regrettably, the effort required for a show of this magnitude can’t be expended every year.
The last Alumni Art show was held in 1996.
“There will not be another art show next year,” Tefft said. “But look for one in about four to six years.