By FAYTHE REEVES, Staff Reporter |
In order to give students and faculty the opportunity to exhibit their work in a museum setting, the Amarillo Museum of Art is holding the Amarillo College and West Texas A&M University Student and Faculty Art Show from April 5 through 20.
Deana Craighead, AMOA curator of education, said that the museum has been partnering with AC and WT since the inception of the museum itself, more than 40 years ago. Craighead also said that the showing student and faculty art in a museum setting gives legitimacy to the artists participating.
“It’s important to be able to put your work on the wall with your teachers and other students and have people come in with all the pomp and circumstance that comes with an opening reception, the public coming, gallery talks and conversations about the artwork. That is really beneficial in the long-term development of an artist,” Craighead said. “That’s really the reason why we do this. It gives this emerging talent that chance.”
The best student art of the year is entered into the annual exhibition, according to Steve Cost, associate professor of art. He also said that students have to meet certain criteria in order to have their piece chosen by an instructor. “The criteria needed to enter is excellence in composition, technique and professionalism, and creativity is a plus,” Cost said. “This museum show is a major part of an artist’s resume.”
A wide range of pieces are entered, according to Craighead.
“There’s some ceramic pieces, some sculpture and lots of two dimensional work. There’s graphic design, painting, collages, printmaking and mixtures of it all. There’s also video work, which is relatively new,” Craighead said. Craighead said there are many reasons to participate in this art show.
“Students do receive financial benefit from it in addition to recognition and getting to invite people to come and see their work at the museum and things like that. Students compete for scholarship money, prizes and different things like that,” Craighead said.
If a student or faculty member is interested in selling the piece they entered in the exhibition, the museum staff can direct potential buyers to them, although the museum staff is not directly involved in that process, according to Craighead.
“That does occasionally happen with exhibitions of all different kinds. Occasionally someone will say ‘I just love that and I have to take it home’ and we can put that person in touch with the artist or teacher,” Craighead said.
Feature image is an archival pigment print by Rene West.
Leave a Reply