Quiz: What happens when creativity is mixed with art-inclined Guilford students?
Answer: “The Student Art Gallery.” It’s a congregation of sculpture, photography, painting, ceramics, and prints coalesced into great local art.
The gallery, located in Founders upstairs, is organized in a clockwise manner, so that it’s easy to take everything in. The organization of the art also includes the various categories, which sadly aren’t posted anywhere.
After entering the gallery, my eyes immediately zoomed in on Heidi McLean Morafa’s “Two” ($125), a magnificent photo concentrating on the white and black of dice applied to a face. Located in the self-portrait section, “Two” was perhaps my favorite photograph there.
In the painting section, I found myself looking at Amelia Kinner’s “Breaking Free” ($500). Its use of color on a dark background I really liked, conveying the sense of a dream.
Shortly after tearing myself away, I experienced the most talented use of shading that I had ever seen in Nicole Minkin’s “Night” and “Day” (NFS). This excellent pair of paintings convey the ideal of shading, making both seem to be photos, instead of paintings. They were without a doubt my favorite pieces there.
After the painting section, I moved on to photography , where I saw another excellent photo, Eric Belmont’s “White Lies” (NFS). Set in white, the Islamic white burka makes a stunning contrast to the woman’s tanned face. Next to “White Lies” was a great contrast to the light color, a spotlight on a man over black, which was also a good picture.
Next to the photography section lay the drawing section. While they were very well done, I didn’t see any drawings that stood out as being exceptional.
Prints were next. Although all of the prints were quite good, I ultimately liked Anne Landay’s “Pear/Pair” ($10-SOLD). Named Best in Category, I could see why. The simple contrast between the two words was used very effectively by the image of a single pear spaced apart from a pair of pears, making me chuckle at its tongue-in-cheek attitude.
Moving on, I also liked Jon Clark’s mysterious “Alter Ego” ($30). Its blues and purples were very well placed, giving it the impression of a dream. At least that’s how I saw it. My roommate, who had come with me, enjoyed its lines and overall quality.
Next came ceramics, and John Pickard’s wonderful “Bee Jar” ($25). The small, green jar was very well done, complete with some aged effects on the sides. The little bee on top was well designed and detailed, adding art to function through its use as a handle.
Lastly, I ran into Ansley Collins’ “Soap on a Rope,” a very artful take on the commercial idea. Although by accident, walking through it was actually quite enjoyable, despite the sad feeling I had afterwards from walking through someone’s hard work. Also, there were a few empty strings, due to the juvenile theft of a few of the lightbulb-shaped soaps.
Overall, I liked the gallery and its collection of student art. The only thing that bothered me was the lack of advertising about it. Next time, there should be a little more, so that first years such as I can come and appreciate the art displayed there.