Department of Art students to host art exhibitions

Students in the Department of Art will showcase their artwork in the Salon Des Refuses art exhibition from April 4 through 13.

The artwork will be on display at the River Campus Art Gallery, located on the main floor of the Seminary Building, during the hours of 1 to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. The opening exhibition will be 4 to 7 p.m. on April 7, and it will accompany the student show. The exhibition is free and is open to the public.

Students ranging in level of skill such as freshmen and upper-level students will feature a variety of artwork including graphic design, ceramics and other artworks.

“There will be a little bit of everybody represented. You’ll see foundation work, created by freshmen up to more conceptual art done by upper-level students,” Justin Miller, associate professor and exhibitions coordinator, said.

Students can enter up to three pieces per medium. If one of those pieces does not get into the juried student show it is optional to enter that piece into the Salon Des Refuse show.

About 90 pieces of art can be selected to be shown in the Crisp Museum.

“It doesn’t mean that the piece isn’t good, they can only accommodate so many. It’s still a high-quality show,” Miller said. “They want a variety of different works in there. It’s a really fun variety, it's not just a one-themed show.”

Miller said it’s an opportunity for a student who believes in the piece to still show it. There’s also an opportunity for a student to sell their work.

“A lot of other departments come through and buy work from the Crisp Museum show but also from the Salon show,” Miller said.

Miller said students will learn how to price their work and work with buyers.

If students see that their piece did not get into the juried show, they can enter it into the Salon show and still showcase their work.

The name, Salon Des Refuses, has a French origin and means an exhibition of the rejects, or artwork that did not get chosen by the jurors.

“It's like a side show that goes along with the juried show,” Miller said.

Miller said he wants to encourage viewers to go because he guarantees there's always going to be something in the show that they are going to like.