Faculty Art Gallery Opens at Clifford
On Wednesday, September 4, students and faculty gathered outside Little Hall’s Clifford Gallery to witness the opening of the Studio Art Faculty Exhibition. The exhibition, which will run through October 11, features sculpture by Associate Professor of Art & Art History DeWitt Godfrey, video art by Assistant Professor of Art & Art History Penny Lane, drawings by Professor of Art & Art History and Film & Media Studies and Director of Film & Media Studies Lynn Schwarzer, digital sculpture by Assistant Professor of Art & Art History Wenhua Shi, paintings by Associate Professor of Art & Art History Lynette Stephenson and photography by Associate Professor of Art & Art History Linn Underhill.
Attendees at the gallery opening discussed art over a catered spread of sushi, mulled over Stephenson’s paintings of boats and Godfrey’s tension-supported metal-and-leather sculpture, and interacted with Shi’s motion sensor-activated sculpture. Notably, the works varied widely in their size, style, content and media, creating an interesting array of art that was both diverse yet cohesive.
“What I found best about the show was the sense of range in the work as a reflection of the faculty,” Professor of Art & Art History and Chair of Art & Art History Robert McVaugh said. “As I look at every piece, I see a distinct set of aesthetic priorities, which is important not just to the faculty but to the students and the community. I imagine being a student working with the faculty, and the challenges each would present.”
The gallery opening marked Assistant Professor of Art & Art History Penny Lane’s artistic debut at Colgate. The award-winning filmmaker and video artist, whose videos graced the screening room adjacent to the Clifford Gallery, will continue to make her artistic presence felt on campus with a lecture on September 11 and a film screening September 13. The show further offered an opportunity for professors to showcase their current projects.
“It’s always nice to get your work out of the studio and into the gallery,” said Professor Schwarzer, whose mural of drawings commanded one entire wall of the gallery. “And it’s also great for the students to see what we do, since that influences
our teaching.”
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