“Don’t Get Mad, Get Even” is this year’s theme for the annual student art show on display at the Glendale College Art Gallery through June 15.
The theme of the show was chosen by the gallery studies class taught by John Zarcone. Their job, aside from selecting the pieces that would be on display for the show, was to install the exhibition as well as promote it. The college art gallery accepted works from both students enrolled in art classes at GCC and from the college community at large.
“They [the gallery studies class] picked some things [art pieces] that I was very proud of,” said Zarcone. “We were looking for things that fit the theme and [had] a certain degree of technical proficiency in a particular media. [We were] also looking to see if the media fit the image.”
But gallery director Roger Dickes had a final say in which pieces made it into the show.
According to Zarcone, he
had to interface with the gallery director so that they could talk about what art pieces best represented Glendale college, the art department and the gallery.
On May 15 and 16, students were asked to submit their artwork along with an application that gave the title of the piece and a brief description of the medium used. Among the pieces submitted were several paintings, drawings, sculptures, and one sole audio- visual piece. There were 165 pieces submitted but only 36 were chosen to be on display for the show.
“We set up a desk at the front of the gallery and people submitted work which was then annotated and placed in a space,” said Dickes.
Unlike past years, the students did not receive awards.
“We didn’t know where the work was coming from,” said Dickes. “[Since] we left it open to the whole college community, we didn’t want a beginning design student competing with more advanced students. I thought that the prize would be getting into the show.”
This is the first time that the student show has a theme, and a first that the pieces will not be judged within their respective categories. Dickes is not sure whether or not this approach will be taken next year.
“I wonder if we took the same approach, the work will be different? Who knows?” asked Dickes. “I think that the main thing we did this time, that was significant, was that we had a theme, we presented the theme, and people responded to it. I think we can look forward to many more exciting attempts at mounting a theme-based student show.”
Although the theme of the show raised some concern among art instructors on campus, it proved to be popular and turned out several art pieces. The main concerns of the art department, according to Dickes, was that the theme would promote negative or angry, vindictive work.
However, GCC student James Liu, 21, believes that the show’s theme resonated with the pieces on display.
“I think it [exhibition] is really good,” said Liu. “I think that the intention of most of these pieces to grab the theme was well done.”
Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.