Saint Xavier University is currently displaying a new exhibit at the Visual Arts Center (VAC) gallery, which according to SXU is a venue exclusively dedicated to exhibiting student and alumni artwork. This semester one of the current exhibits is the “HATCHED” Exhibit.
The student artists are: Karisa Brake, Ethan Gray, Abel Juarez, Erin Kelly, James Miller and Bianca Santoyo.
These Art and Design students who will be participating in the show will “crack their artistic impulses open using the iconic symbol of the egg” according to the SXU website.
The exhibit will be open for viewers to see through mid-September as the artists continue working on their pieces as their inspiration continues to grow.
Many of the artists have taken recent incidents in today’s society and used it as inspiration for their piece as Junior, James Miller states, “The white supremacist rally in Charlottesville in August is my inspiration.”
Juniors, Karisa Brake and Ethan Gray have been working on a collaboration piece inspired by The Chinese creation myth of Pangu. Brake is an Art and Secondary Education major.
“I am excited about everything. I make art because it brings me great joy and a sense of accomplishment. Working in a large scale challenges me when I usually work on much smaller pieces. I enjoy and appreciate the collaborative feedback I have been able to receive. Ethan and I have engaged in a mutually beneficial process. I am very grateful to be able to feature my work. It is a great honor to have a venue with my fellow artist friends” says Brake.
Junior, Bianca Santoyo will be participating in her third public show hosted by Cathie Saunders. Saunders is the Director of the SXU Gallery and the VAC Student Gallery.
“What inspired my piece, “Growing Pains” is actually my Philosophy 240 class: Philosophy of Nature taught by Professor Sturdevant. The goal is to ultimately become a better version of oneself and this is forever changing and the aspirations we currently strive for are both very near and very far, because our work is never done. On a personal level my life experiences have also inspired “Growing Pains” because I have had to change in many ways whether it have been prioritizing school over social events, or embracing my passions, or even cutting out negative parts of my life to assist in living a healthy life. The piece itself is the visual metaphor for growing into a newer version of oneself. While the transition is painful –through the figures having gouging ribs or spines and the lack of physical development– it is crafted ever so delicately which is the promise of beauty after the growing has been done (through flower petals and soft pastel colors)” stated Santoyo who is majoring in Secondary Art Education
The artists talked about what they felt most excited about with this exhibit.
“I’m most excited to connect to our audience through our art. To be able to hear how the audience is being affected by art is a truly awe inspiring thing. An artist is much like an actor, where an actor will use his face and body language to communicate how their character is feeling, and artist will do so in every brush stroke, in every color choice, in every line. There is a story behind every piece that is being showcased this Thursday. I’m most excited to see what the audience reacts to and how the art affects them” continued Santoyo”
Miller who is a Studio Art Major, said “I am excited to communicate my message this time not through vivid imagery or giant typography, but through workmanship, object placement and a combination of audio and visual stimuli and I am incredibly honored to have a piece in the Hatched exhibit, joining my peers who have created some of the more exciting works that I’ve seen in my time at SXU.”
Brake who agreed said “I am very grateful to be able to feature my work. It is a great honor to have a venue with my fellow artist friends.”
On Thursday, September 21 SXU will host a reception at the VAC gallery (10435 S. Spaulding) where everyone is welcome to view the artwork, and speak with the artists from 5pm to 6:30pm.
Shadia Judeh
News Reporter