Current Release: September 11th, 2007 | Vol. XXIV Iss. 10

Photo By Alexandra Drogus

VWC faculty demonstrates creativity

By amanda gertner & By Katie morris

ajgertner@vwc.edu & kemorris@vwc.edu

The semester is already proving to be an exciting one for Wesleyan artists and art lovers alike. Anyone who falls into either of the groups should check out the Faculty Art Exhibit, which showcases several recent works by various faculty members in the Arts department.

Studio art and professor John Rudel is in charge of the Faculty Art Exhibition. Held in the Hofheimer Library, the show runs from Sept. 5 through Nov. 2 and is open during all library hours. On the opening day there were snacks and wine for the guests to enjoy. According to Rudel,  The show is intended to highlight the creative work of the art faculty.

Rudel is, in addition to heading the showcase, a large contributor. His four pieces are called  Head Down,  Fractures,  Self; A Half Decade Ago, and  Seems Big and Important. All of these are made from black, white and gray chalk pastels on paper. Whenever Rudel creates a new piece, he is trying to communicate a thought or emotion.

 I try to draw directly from my life for inspiration, said Rudel,  I was looking to make work about my experience as a father.

Rudel is not the only contributor who focuses on life, emotion and thought for inspiration in his art.

Fellow artist and faculty member Philip Guilfoyle finds similar inspirations for his work. Beside one of his pieces is a note that details where some of his most potent muses come from.

 The direction of my work is currently in a state of flux brought on by my need to satisfy creative impulses, urges and ideas, said Guilfoyle. He also said that the time he took on sabbatical leave allowed him to  pursue new directions and rest tired ones as well as  explore new materials and concepts. The time rekindled his creative energy.

 I hope you find something inspiring in the work, and I hope you will come back to see what is next, said Guilfoyle.

Professor Sharon Beachum also demonstrated deep emotion and experience in her contributions, especially in two of her photographs:  Whispers: The Stories my Mother never Told Me and  Forced: The Stories my Mother never Told Me .

Besides Rudel, there are many other staff member s pieces in the showcase who used a variety of different mediums and styles. For instance, Guilfoyle used inkjet, paint, and birch plywood to create  Wandering through the stars (dancing on the sands), which is part of a set. In addition to these pieces, there are acrylic on canvas paintings by Professor Joyce Howelle, including  House on Rt. 13 as well as Beachum s  Town Square Tuscany , which is part of her photography collection.

The exhibit is not just of interest to faculty members. Students can also find enrichment in the art on display. Kuong Lam, junior, went to the showcase because he is  fascinated with photography.

 Some of the ones I loved were photography pieces by Professor Sharon Beachum, Lam said.  I m interested in the way people take ordinary things and make them into extraordinary photographs and she can do that. She takes anything ordinary, and she can make a wonderful picture out of it.

The exhibit holds lots of different types or works on many different mediums. In addition to these pieces, there are digital photographs, pottery, and pieces made of plywood.

Many art students have visited the exhibit, but the Faculty Art Exhibition. Mostly teachers have gone to view the showcase, yet it is open to everyone on the Virginia Wesleyan College campus. If a particular piece speaks to you enough, you might check to see if it is for sale, as some of them are.