A new student exhibition space has opened on campus. The Emerging Artist Gallery in Jacobson Hall is a vision that has been two years in the making.
Alysha Creighton, who teaches Art + Design at TWU, explains how—just before the pandemic began—the art department discussed with Student Life ways to re-imagine the student lounge space in Jacobson Hall, a residence building at the Langley campus.
Originally, the plan was to invite the art department to help “animate the space and make it more vibrant and welcoming.”
Alysha had a bigger vision.
Art students exhibit their work on campus
“We saw this as a really exciting opportunity to create an Emerging Artist Gallery where TWU students, especially those in their first, second and third years could get valuable exhibition experience and share their work with the campus,” she said.
On November 24, 2021, the very first student exhibition opened in the new Jacobson Hall Emerging Artist Gallery. Called Identities: A Collection of Portraits, the exhibition features the work of Dr. Erica Grimm’s ART 211: Life Drawing students. The works will be showcased until January 16, 2022.
In describing the project, Alysha said, “Students were challenged to create a headdress that revealed something about their identity and then draw themselves wearing the headdresses. Both the drawings and the headdresses are included in the exhibition.”
Reflected within student creations are topics including mental health, emotion, the human body, the environment, faith and seeking.
Identities: A collection of Portraits | November 24, 2021 — January 16, 2022 | Jacobson Hall Emerging Artist Gallery
Words by Dr. Erica Grimm
This ART 211 drawing project invites students to explore identity construction by creating a sculptural headpiece that reveals something about their identity, then by drawing themselves while wearing the headpiece.
These drawings aim for accurate anatomy. It is difficult to sort out all the complex, interlocking bones, muscles and tendons that allow for recognition and expression, especially given the prevalence of photoshopped faces that distort our perception of what constitutes accurate anatomy. These works demonstrate the clarity needed to see through stereotypes about faces and heads.
These drawings aim to communicate with expressive form. Accurate anatomy paired with expressive marks has the potential to express what is hard to find words for. These pieces communicated by how each surface is rendered, how each mark is made, and by how each value and space is shaped.
Along with anatomy and expressive form these drawings also aim to suggest meaning through the choice of objects of significance interwoven into each sculptural headpiece.
Accurate anatomy, expressive use of form and objects of significance combine differently in each of these works to reveal individual souls. Stereotypes are dispelled as identity is excavated, layered, and constructed–for artist and viewer alike.
About School of the Arts, Music + Culture at Trinity Western University
SAMC is home to some of the most collaborative people on campus. SAMC professors are people of faith and experts in their fields who are committed to seeing you thrive. As your mentors, they will build a safe and welcoming space where you will be challenged to take bold steps, explore ideas of faith and meaning, and push the boundaries of your discipline—to fearlessly engage with and transform culture.
Learn more about pursuing your passion at SAMC.
Read this story in the Langley Advance Times.
See also — Artist exhibition at TWU 'guides community towards the great mystery of Christmas':
TWU News
About Trinity Western University
Founded in 1962, Trinity Western University is Canada’s premier Christian liberal arts university dedicated to equipping students to establish meaningful connections between career, life, and the needs of the world. It is a fully accredited research institution offering liberal arts and sciences, as well as professional schools in business, nursing, education, human kinetics, graduate studies, and arts, media, and culture. It has four campuses: Langley, Richmond-Lansdowne, Richmond-Minoru, and Ottawa. TWU emphasizes academic excellence, research, and student engagement in a vital faith community committed to forming leaders to have a transformational impact on culture. Learn more at www.twu.ca or follow us on Twitter @TrinityWestern, on Facebook and LinkedIn.