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April 2018
Review Annual Student Juried Art Exhibit Louis Carlos Bernal Gallery Pima Community College West Campus Reviewed by C.J. Shane |
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Spring is the traditional time of year for the student art exhibit at the Louis Carlos Bernal Gallery at Pima Community College’s West Campus. The Spring 2018 exhibit offers an eclectic and high-quality selection of works from Pima students that are sure to please art lovers who take the time to visit the exhibit and enjoy the art. In addition to selecting work for the exhibition, jurors also presented prizes for the top artworks which will be presented at a reception April 12.
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It is no surprise that the stand-out pieces winning Best of Show are two life-sized ceramic sculptures by Sid Henderson titled Directed Self and I’m Becoming Pan Again. The results are stunning. Henderson has a history of producing sculptures that draw on ancient Greek and Chinese Buddhist cultures. Also he has produced commissioned public sculptures, chief among them a sculpture honoring country blues songster Mance Lipscomb installed in Lipscomb’s hometown of Navasota, Texas.
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Sid Henderson_I'm Becoming Pan Again (left) and _Directed Self_ (right)
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Sid Henderson_I'm Becoming Pan Again_ (detail)
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Henderson, who also works in pen and ink and says that science is a chief source of inspiration for his artwork. In addition to the two pieces in the Bernal Gallery show, Henderson has an additional Pan sculpture in the SculptureTucson event April 6 through 8 at Brandi Fenton Memorial Park in midtown Tucson.
Painting is another well-represented medium in the exhibit. Tina Kennedy won Best of Painting for her touching and lovely Hey Buddy. Connie Nicholson’s Scaffold Work is a small painting with an energetic and highly textured surface that won Best of 2D. Two additional noteworthy works in the painting category are Cindy DeVault’s Abnegation in watercolor – very well done in a medium not easy to master – and Chelsea Laprevóle’s colorful and very intriguing acrylic I Crush Everything.
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Pima CC West has long had an excellent printmaking department so it is no surprise that we see strong works in this category. Penny Batelli won Best of Printmaking with her Seeds. Batelli combines printmaking techniques, including collagraphy (also spelled collography) which is a simple but surprisingly effective method of creating beautiful prints. Also noteworthy was Jo Andersen’s Bosque del Apache, a photopolymer print. |
Penny Batelli_Seeds_
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Moving on to photography, another strong area at Pima CC, we see Best of Digital Photography John Isner’s Information Booth. However, I found Isner’s Herbert Building, Tucson, even more compelling, and were I giving out the awards, this is my chosen work of photography.
Drawing was well-represented with a collection of self-portraits in graphite and charcoal. There were several noteworthy drawings in this collection, among them Emily A. Barnhart’s self-portrait in white charcoal on black paper.
Art in three dimensions was well-represented. Larry Gotkin won Best of 3D for his Candam Dagger. There was also a beautiful selection of metal work, ceramics, weaving, and two artists’ books. The artist’s books by Danielle Hansen were very simple structures with a very interesting surface design on the paper. Alas! The label did not inform of us what we were seeing.
Drawing was well-represented with a collection of self-portraits in graphite and charcoal. There were several noteworthy drawings in this collection, among them Emily A. Barnhart’s self-portrait in white charcoal on black paper.
Art in three dimensions was well-represented. Larry Gotkin won Best of 3D for his Candam Dagger. There was also a beautiful selection of metal work, ceramics, weaving, and two artists’ books. The artist’s books by Danielle Hansen were very simple structures with a very interesting surface design on the paper. Alas! The label did not inform of us what we were seeing.
The spring 2018 exhibit was juried by Olivia Miller, curator of exhibitions at University of Arizona Museum of Art in Tucson; Angie Zielinski, assistant professor, Painting/Drawing School of Art, University of Arizona; and Aaron Coleman, assistant professor, Art/Printmaking School of Art, University of Arizona The Bernal Gallery director is David Andres.
The exhibit is up through May 4, and a reception and award ceremony will be held April 12. See more about Pima CC’s Center for the Arts.