MTSU Fine Arts Students Exhibit Original Works at Todd Art Gallery

By Meredith G. White

            MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Fine arts students at Middle Tennessee State University debuted their original artwork in a new exhibit titled “Kinda Infinity & Sorta Beyond” from Nov. 18-26 at the Todd Art Gallery.

            The Todd Art Gallery, located on the MTSU campus at 1301 East Main St., spotlighted the works of seniors who are completing their studies toward Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees. The artists who debuted their work were Sara Benton, Acacia Blue, Lindsey Isbell, Scott Sulfridge, and Russ White. Although the exhibit closed at the Todd Art Gallery on Nov. 26, the gallery regularly spotlights artists. Gallery hours are 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

            The gallery is located inside of the Todd Art Building on the MTSU campus. One can find the main room directly to the left after walking through the front doors. The spacious gallery continues on the right, across the hall from the main room. The exhibit is open to the general public, and it is always free for those who wish to take a look at the art inside.  

            “The artists are given a time period they are allowed to have, and they come up with the theme, title and design of the space,” said Gallery Director Eric V. Snyder. “They work together to put everything in place the way they want it.”

            The artists ask their supervisors and the gallery director questions if they have them, but the whole concept of the exhibit is up to the artists themselves.

            All of the pieces made bold statements that kept one staring at the work in hopes of figuring out where the artists were going and thinking when they created them. Every piece seemed to tell a personal story and have its own background story connected directly to the artists themselves. There were only four artists for this exhibit, but the gallery was filled with their different pieces, and there was not a blank space left in the room.

            One of the more interesting pieces was a mixed media installation titled “Le Chemin (The Way)” by Sara Benton. The work depicted an abandoned swing surrounded by fallen leaves and had a projection of  a girl swinging behind it. It was a hauntingly beautiful piece.

Sara Benton's piece "Le Chemin (The Way)"

        “My work deals largely with themes of identity, relationships and gender as they cycle from individual to communal,” said Benton when explaining the type of art she produces. Her installation art was displayed in a separate room across from the gallery because of its large size.

            One of the other artworks was a painting brushed by Acacia Blue. The acrylic on panel was titled “Comfort” and depicted three sections of a girl lying down with a floral print behind her. This piece struck viewers not only as different, but also very personal.

Acacia Blue's piece "Comfort"

         “I have taken the classic Venus of the old masters and replaced her passive languishing with strength and agency,” said Blue. “These bodacious babes appear within a visually playful, candy-colored oblivion landscape in which they turn their anxieties and longing into magic flowing from their bodies”.

          The “Kinda Infinity & Sorta Beyond” exhibit featured a mix of digital illustrations, videos, sculptures, paintings, screen prints, mixed media, and installation art, creating a very diverse experience for the public to enjoy.

Scott Selfridge's piece "Fused" (concrete). 

Russ White's piece "Robot Mastication" (acrylic).

          The Todd Art Gallery will host its annual Department of Art Seasonal Scholarship Sale from Dec. 1-3. Hours are 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday, and 9 a.m. – Noon on Wednesday. All proceeds will go to the Department of Art scholarships with all art donated by MTSU art faculty, staff, alumni, students, working artists, and art enthusiasts. To learn more about the gallery, visit www.mtsu.edu/art/barngallery/ . 

# # #

Six Middle Tennessee State University Seniors Host Art Show

By Emily Ford

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Six Middle Tennessee State University Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art degree candidates hosted the opening of their senior show with their exhibit “Inertia” on Nov. 18 at the Todd Art Gallery.

The students have worked on their artworks in the exhibit for nearly four months. They have explored numerous mediums and techniques in classes in the MTSU Art Department, but each chose one medium for their work in the exhibit. “Inertia” showcased diverse artworks from the graduating students. It occurred through Nov. 27. The gallery is located in Todd Hall on MTSU’s campus.

The works showcased in the exhibit were by Brian Bailey, sculpture; Carissa Gay, sculpture; Laney Humphrey, sculpture; Mariela Poptoleva-Clause, sculpture; Sheila Smotherman, painting; and Michael Stem, printmaking.

Bailey explored themes of control, balance and the transformation of form and space in his nonrepresentational sculptures. He utilized both nontraditional and traditional materials in his works.

Stasis by Brian Bailey

Gay chose sculpture as her focus because of her struggles with dyslexia as a child. She learned at a young age to sculpt letters to help her learn to read. For her sculptures in the exhibit, she chose to explore the use of the sacred torus form.

Diffeomorphic Revolution by Carissa Gay

Humphrey sculpted grotesque human forms to explore the effects of emotions. She accompanied these forms with ceramic birds to represent demons such as thoughts, obsessions and memories.

Bird Feeder by Laney Humphrey

Poptoleva-Clause used life around her, photographs and past works as inspiration for her sculptures. She experimented with color, structure and surface qualities in her ceramic vessels.

Glitter II by Mariela Poptoleva-Clause

Smotherman’s oil paintings depicted glass bottles hanging from strings. The bottles represent ideas and the strings represent the way we make connections between these ideas.

Brain Wave by Sheila Smotherman

            “The theme of my body of work is internal and external communication,” said Stem. “My prints illustrate the masks we wear and fronts we put on in front of others. I explored the notion that even when we are around others, we are isolated in our minds.”

First, Now by Michael Stem

“The name ‘Inertia’ was chosen after a long debate between the artists,” said Stem. “We wanted something sounding positive but that was not too long. We wanted the name to punctuate the ending of school. I suggested we use ‘Inertia’ because it means something in motion stays in motion, like us as artists.”

When asked how he thought the show turned out, Stem responded, “Beautifully. I think it was one of the better openings in the gallery in a long time.”

A senior exhibit is held every semester by students graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in the Fine Arts with a Studio Art focus. The students are responsible for organizing and curating the event.

When asked how he felt about the exhibit being a requirement, Stem said, “It should absolutely be a requirement. It is stressful and awkward but shows you how something like that would work in the real world. It is a group effort, so you learn to

compromise and deal with the different personalities of the artists. In the end, it is extremely rewarding.”

Dates for the Spring 2014 senior exhibit have yet to be announced. Visit the Todd Art Gallery page on MTSU’s website (http://www.mtsu.edu/art/barngallery/index.php) for updates on upcoming gallery showings.

###