Annual art presentation showcases creativity from university students

04/07/09- The University of Rhode Island's Main Gallery in the Fine Arts Center opened its doors to the public yesterday afternoon to showcase the works of more than 25 artists.Dedicated students spent hours on the displayed works at the 2009 Juried Student Exhibition, an annual art presentation.

Upon first arrival, a series of three black and white drawings greet visitors. In the left frame, a character wearing Middle-Eastern garb is depicted shooting two guns at an older man hiding behind a brick wall in the next frame. The third frame is a person looking out the side of a bus that has been blown to pieces, though appearing calm. A skeleton slumps over two seats behind. The work, entitled "Hey Zeus! Catch!," by Randy Stevenson, was one of just a handful of artists with works in the gallery to win an excellence award.

"Flowerbox," by Sabrina Strawn catches the eye with its pink electroluminescent wire that at first glance appears to have been spewed carelessly throughout the metal flowers. Upon further examination however, it is apparent that the wire has been strategically placed and at times, dips into the delicate spirals of metal flower plumes. The flowers have different elevations and directions, therefore teasing the eyes of the onlooker.

"The Offering," also by Strawn, uses a similar metal twisting as her first piece in the gallery. Hydrocal cement, wax, wood and metal take the form of a hand, holding out a metal strand.

Arthur Kobin's "Kevin" intaglio depicts a man in utter horror. The colorful portrait evokes a sense of horror, as the viewer glance at the figure's eyes, rolled back into their sockets, bloodshot and shadowed by sagging bags below them. Dirt appears to be stuck in every crevice of the many wrinkles of his fingers and face.

In Rebecca Peabody's photograph, "Red Building," a crane in the background gives light to an old, rusted red dump truck in the middle of an overgrown field of green.

A mouse splayed out on its backside pops to life in Joseph Silver's oil painting "Still Life of a Mouse." The painting won an Excellence Award, no doubt for its blending qualities. The brush strokes composing the mouse's fur are meticulously done in such a way that the texture seems to stand out the most.

Erik Giorgi's "Portrait" with linocut is a profile piece composed of many white brushstrokes on a black background.

Unlike most of the artistic works placed prior to this work of art, Tracey Cannon's piece used black and white photography to create a series of three columns and seven rows. They showed four models lying down, wearing various socks. It twists the imagination with its ability to break up sections of the human body.

Two pieces by Kyle Lemke, titled "Lighthouse" and "Bridges" are diverse pieces but complement each other in their sense of beauty and power. The first of the two digital photos, "Lighthouse," gives a sense of power and mystique. A lighthouse residing in the background sets the scene for ominous waves crashing over rocks in the foreground. "Bridges," is a night shot of a bridge, taken from afar. Large boulders in the foreground emit feelings of nature's strength, while the focal point of the piece, the bridge, gives a sense of strength of humanity.

On the back wall, a large double-chalk piece attracts the eye with its bright colors. Jason Curzake used chalk to create an amazing piece titled "Peacock." To the right of it is another piece, "Pomegranate." In each piece, part of the other piece can be seen. The blending of colors used to create the life-like chalk-designed peacock make it appear as though it might walk off the medium and into the showcase room.

The opening reception and awards ceremony for the artists will be held at 4 p.m. this afternoon in the URI Fine Art's Center's Main Gallery.

The annual juried student art exhibition will be open to the public until May 7. The Gallery will be open from noon to 4 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.