The Western Gallery presents its annual art showcase after a year-long process spearheaded by graduating students in the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) program.
This year, the show is titled “In Good Company.” Alesandra Caroline, one of the student artists featured in the exhibition, said a lot of the art is trying to foster connection in some way.
“I think the name fits perfectly for welcoming people into our space,” Caroline said. “And then the people coming to see the show become that good company.”
Antonio Mejia Wolf, another student artist featured in the exhibition, said his art is about a sense of belonging. In his art, he looks at his background of being Mexican American by looking at toxic masculinity in his family and feelings of not fitting into his cultural background or identity.
“Being a Mexican American, my father was an immigrant growing up here, and my mom's side is from here, which makes me half Mexican and half American. So kind of finding that sense of identity and belonging and trying to navigate in between,” Mejia Wolf said.
Ryan Kelly, the faculty advisor to the BFA studio arts students, said art and identity intersect in every way possible.
“Every individual is a subjective person, bringing their own life experience, cultural history, skills, limitations [and] observations,” Kelly said. “There's no way you can divorce your identity from your production of artwork.”
The art on display will fit the students' unique style. From sculptures to graphics, Jody Thompson, the preservation and museum specialist at The Western Gallery, said setting up exhibition art can take up to two weeks. He said it's fun to work with the students ahead of the exhibition and see what they work on.
“With the BFA students, there are a lot of times they're working on the projects all up until the day that we're installing, so it's fun,” Thompson said.
Matt Berry, another student artist, said it's impossible to avoid talking about your identity when creating art. He created an interactive installation made out of wood sculpture and ceramic. He sculpted two-life-sized wolves sitting at a table as a commentary on a safe sanctuary for queer people who have been mistreated and misrepresented.
“Throughout history, the wolves are kind of the protectors of the sanctuary and also a metaphor for my queer identity specifically,” Berry said.
Julia Sapin, a professor of art history at Western, said art can connect an artist to their culture or connect viewers to cultures they are not personally a part of.
“A lot of the students are working on ideas specifically related to their own individual identities and feelings of being threatened because of our current political environment in the federal government,” Sapin said. “That gives people a way to understand better how threatened and vulnerable people are feeling.”
The exhibition opened to the public on May 22 and will run through June 14. The opening reception is on May 29 from 5-7 p.m., where friends and family of the artists will celebrate their work.
Zoë Fejeran, the museum educator for The Western Gallery, said a lot of artists are doing interesting installations, such as a cabin set, a bedroom recreation and a movie.
“It will be a really cool experience to walk from each one and explore the gallery as a whole,” Fejeran said.
Caroline created a short film and started out the process by making props.
“I had multiple people in the BFA acting in my film or being camera crew,” Caroline said. “We tried to spend a lot of time getting together and getting to know each other, and really just trying to support each other through the struggles of our work.”
Wolf said he wants people to have empathy when they come into the gallery.
“We're being very vulnerable with how we're presenting ourselves in our pieces, our works and the fact that we want to express our inner sides to others is very important,” said Wolf.
Adah Bassok (she/her) is a city news reporter for The Front this fall quarter. She was previously a campus life reporter for The Front, and she is a news and editorial journalism major at Western. Outside of the newsroom, you can find her reading and exploring the outdoors. You can reach her at adahbassok.thefront@gmail.com.
