Village art from MHCC students

In the world of art there is no good or bad art work, only the strong and the weak. The strength of an art piece consists of effectiveness, conceptual understanding, abstract, quality and use of color. When an art piece is weak, it means there are problems that need to be solved.

According to many of the Mt. Hood Community College art instructors, the artwork submitted from students for the Visual Arts Student Show fits the description of a strong art piece. Not only are they able to show the qualities of a strong art piece, but progression as well – learning composition and structure.

The Visual Arts Student Show is a show with no particular theme, but focuses on the student and their work. The show highlights the student’s accomplishments in the Visual Arts Program. The Student Art Exhibit will run until ­­­May 27. The Visual Arts Gallery is open Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Friday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
“If you’re curious about what students do in particular focus areas, this is a great show to see the student’s work represent those classes,” gallery coordinator Pat Barrett said.
When a student does work in an art class, they see it from a certain perspective. That perspective is most likely the vision they had when creating it. But when it’s on display in a gallery, it allows the student to see their work in the context of the whole. It encourages them to come up with more ideas.
“When you see it on the wall, you see it differently,” painting instructor Lori Lorion said. “It gives them a lot of ideas because when they’re working in the studio they don’t see all the possible ways of expressing themselves.”
Mary Girsch, digital art and basic design instructor, notices the quality of the student work is getting stronger. Plus, they are more serious about their work. She says they are able to understand the concepts and technical quality, as well as having higher expectations of themselves.
“Half the battle is to get a student to want it, to see the quality and then to want to work for it,” Girsch said. “It’s getting stronger and stronger, much more university level.”
According to ceramics instructor Stephen Mickey, the exhibit is a reward for the students and the hard work they did. Mickey said there are some very handsome pieces on display.
“I think it’s dynamite. I think this is a very strong showing,” Mickey said. “The paintings, the prints and the sculptures are very strong.”
He also sees this as an opportunity to reach out into the community, showing them what kind of work the students can produce. Also, Mickey said it would be a nice opportunity if high schools within the district came to observe the show, in order to get an idea of the level of the work at MHCC.
Each year the art pieces vary. According to Barrett, the style of the pieces depends on the students. For example, student Ron Connon submitted a piece where he scratched through a couple layers of paint to give off a third value, a three-dimensional type of look. Student Anna Strane said the exhibit gives students a view on what their best works are, by selecting pieces to display.
A student can select any piece they have been working on throughout the year to enter into the exhibit, as long as the piece is ready to be displayed. The instructor’s role is to help students prepare for the show and approve the piece.

 

Ramon Mejia feature by Nicole Donner

Jennifer Giancone feature by Nick Ngo

Tina Ring feature by Nicole Donner

Carol Manfredi feature by Nicole Donner

Photos by Nicole Donner