By Daniel Levine, Staff Writer
The Fine Arts department had its Student Spring Show opening reception on Wednesday. It will remain open for viewing until May 10. Artists and art critic for The New York Observer Mario Naves served as the outside judge for this year's show. Naves made the ultimate decision on the winner of the "Best In Show" award, but all the other awards were chosen by University faculty members.
Before the show, Naves wandered around the halls of Calkins, where the majority of the students' art was displayed. Naves currently teaches at Brooklyn College and Pratt Institute. While he has served on art juries for people who are receiving grants, this is his first student art show.
The work he has seen displayed is "fairly solid," he said. His main early criticism was that "not all escapes student work, with is understandable." However, he has noticed that some have gone above and beyond, although Naves would not go into any specifics prior to the show. "I have seen some that go beyond the requirements of an assignment…even in beginning classes." When asked if he would give a hint as to what work had really grabbed his attention, he just smirked and said "I'm not going to spoil that for you!"
Melissa Mayer, Victoria Stewart and Kelly Lutz, all sophomores and students in beginning drawing, have work in the show. "I like them all...Everyone has something that was really good," said Stewart, who has a portrait of herself as a child and now in competition. Lutz held no restraint when she said "We got lots of talent, especially in our beginning class."
The show includes work from every art class and done in just about every form of media imaginable. "The work here is great for a liberal arts school without a BFA [Bachelor of Fine Arts] program," said Professor Doug Hilson.
When the time came for Naves to present the award for best in show, the small crowd of students and faculty gathered around the back of Calkins, where a table of food was laid out and a drums/guitar/stand-up bass trio played live music. Naves reiterated how necessary it was for a student's work to show that it went beyond "prerequisite." "When somebody makes me stop and look…it's quite an accomplishment," he said when discussing his criteria for winning best in show.
Deborah Ni's painting "Bookshelf" was the one that met this criterion. Naves said that he liked the painting's "rhythm… [It] showed a nice eye for composition. I wish there were paintings like that where I teach." Ni felt "pretty excited" when she was handed the award, although, her main feeling on the work was merely that "It's a bookshelf."
Other winners included: Erica Rioux (graphic design); Eric Harver (3D Design); Emily Meithner (New Media Design); Jeff Weller (photography); Erya Sajeu (painting); David Ethridge – Barlow (drawing); Chad Goldsmith (ceramics); Christine Burns (sculpture) and Emily Meithner & Steve Giarnacca (special contributions to the department).