Until Oct. 10, the Bridge Gallery of Brodie Hall will showcase artwork from a number of talented students. The Art Scholars Show, which has been on display since Sept. 10, is an impressive display open during all campus hours.
The exhibit is primarily composed of work by two student artists. The art of senior Carla Staples welcomes viewers as they enter the gallery.
Staples, whose art demonstrates an array of different media and subject matter, is noticeably talented in a broad sense. One of her pieces entitled, "Harvest-" a colored pencil still life using many colors and subjects evocative of an autumn or Thanksgiving scene-is the most detailed and accessible piece of the show.
Yet another of Staples' works, "Milne 104," done in chalk pastel, is highly conceptual. The work is simply a picture of a classroom filled with people, but the interesting perspective and use of dark colors create a gloomy, almost eerie, feeling that provokes a lot of thought about the subject matter.
Senior Joe Martin is another artist whose work the exhibit features. His art, though less ground-breaking than that of some of the other artists on display, is still effectively interesting.
The first piece in his collection, entitled "Portrait," is done in oil paint. His use of unconventional colors and an effective composition is rather striking.
Another of Martin's creations, a still life made of watercolor and colored pencils, portrays a skull with a hat and a trumpet. The piece is intriguing when juxtaposed with "Portrait." The two are laid out in strikingly similar positions and with similar colors, although Martin's rendition of himself is more vibrant.
What also makes Martin's still life captivating is the way in which it seems infused with energy; what could be a boring and mundane portrayal of a skull is made, by his skill, into an interesting and thought-provoking piece.
The final work in Martin's part of the exhibit is an oil painting entitled "Philmont on Fire." Although the painting is extremely abstract, it is clear from his manipulation of color and strokes, an evident talent of his, that the subject matter is in fact a fire.
Martin, like other students whose work is on display, truly has the ability to both entertain the eye and challenge the mind with his art - a difficult feat for any artist, student or professional. The accomplishments of Staples, Martin and other students make the Art Scholars Show worth stopping to see.